Unmasking Truth
by greensearcher
Summary: Part 1 of the Masks series: The search for Kiyi reveals surprising secrets about the Kemurikage, but Suki has one of her own that could change everything. A Zuki love story with lots of adventure, drama, and mystery. Picks up right where Smoke & Shadow Part 2 left off, & differs dramatically from Part 3. - Complete!
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary:** Part 1 of the Masks series - The search for Kiyi reveals surprising secrets about the Kemurikage, but Suki has one of her own that could change everything. A Zuki love story with lots of adventure, drama, and mystery. _

_**Please note:** This story starts off right where Smoke  & Shadow Part 2 ended (when the Kemurikage kidnap Kiyi), and references several of the other Avatar comics. I wrote this before S&S Part 3 came out, so it differs dramatically from that comic._

 _Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender and all characters and other Avatar world details are © Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, Viacom. No money is made by writing and publishing this fanfiction._

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Azula."

At first, the word didn't register. All she could hear was Zuko's ragged breathing beside her and the pounding of her own heart as sparks of lightning crawled into the night sky.

Lowering her arms from her face, Suki stared at the attacker as realization rushed over her.

 _Azula?_

The kidnapper threw more lightning at them, aimed straight at Zuko's chest. His arms flew out, fingertips catching the bolt. His body glowed bright, robes flapping madly and sparks shooting from his skin.

As he redirected it back, the lightning struck earth inches from the masked face.

 _He won't kill her…_ Suki realized, unsurprised. She rushed forward, attempting to jab Azula with her fans while Ty Lee tried to get in range to chi block. Even Aang bent a tight current of air towards the woman, but the former princess rolled out of each path of attack and started racing down a nearby alleyway.

 _How did she recover so quickly? Was her fall just a ruse?_ Suki thought, frustrated. At least one thing was clear—Kiyi's captors had moved in the opposite direction, and Azula was giving them time to get away.

"Zuko!" she gasped. "Kiyi!"

He took his eyes of Azula's retreating form and stared at her, right eye wide in realization before narrowing. "Let's go. Aang, can you fly ahead of us and try to spot them?" he asked.

"On it! Just have to grab my glider," Aang agreed. With a gust of air he shot himself back up to the rooftop and ran off without another word.

Suki led the rest of them running in the direction she'd seen the kidnappers heading. Only a few blocks in, they heard light footfalls several buildings back. Turning around, Suki saw one of the Kemurikage sprinting quickly across the rooftops towards them.

"Looks like she won't leave us alone after all," Zuko snarled. They all ducked as the woman sent more lightning scattering into the street.

Slowing her pace, Suki pursued her lips as she thought. "I—I think she's here for you, Zuko," she called back at him. "It might work best if you stayed to distract her. Ty Lee can help you and I'll go on ahead to catch up with Aang."

"What? No!" he said, shaking his head. "You were right before, I need to get to Kiyi first."

Suki fell back alongside him. "Azula is only going to slow us all down. If we split up, then some of us can reach Kiyi faster."

Zuko looked like he was about to boil over in frustration, though Suki could discern the fear in his eyes.

"Aang and I _will_ find her, Zuko," she said firmly. "But it's your call."

They came to a stop. He turned and looked at her intensely for several moments before dropping his gaze and nodding, resigned. He then turned back to glare at Azula's approaching form, teeth barred. Ty Lee readied herself in a strong warrior's stance, belying the fear etched into her face.

Suki wasted no time—she ran around the nearest corner and down a few more blocks before climbing up a ladder to a local store roof. With a quick scan of the sky and the rooftops, she didn't see an airborne Avatar or any Kemurikage, and so began a desperate sprint forward in the same direction she'd seen them heading earlier. Keeping to the rooftops forced her to take a less direct route, but she wanted to be sure Aang could spot her quickly.

Just as she was starting to feel the kidnappers were long gone, he appeared.

"Suki! I think I've found them!" he exclaimed. "They're heading towards—wait a second, where's Zuko?"

"Azula…came back," Suki panted. "Zuko and Ty Lee are…keeping her company."

Aang looked anxious, but then brightened. "Well, in that case, hop on! With just two of us, we'll get there faster on my glider!"

Without argument, Suki stepped onto the glider's footrest and grasped onto the front supports tightly with both hands.

"Oh umm, I guess, uh," Aang started awkwardly, "I have to hold you up…is it okay if I—"

 _Oh spirits, Aang,_ thought Suki. "Yes, yes, it's fine, let's go!" Suko exclaimed, feeling uncharacteristically impatient.

Aang held onto her waist and took off. "Just don't tell Katara, okay? She gets sorta weird about…I mean she's a little sensitive sometimes…"

Suki tuned out Aang's rambling as she scanned the rooftops for signs of Kiyi's captors. Aang was flying them outside of the capital towards the hills that curved upwards, forming the edge of the caldera's tall, jagged peaks.

"How did they—are you sure they made it this far, Aang?" she asked.

"I saw two hooded figures running in this direction—there are hidden metal bunkers in the cliff side that Azula was hiding in on the Day of Black Sun. If she's involved that might be where they're heading!"

 _I hope you're right,_ Suki thought anxiously. _Maybe we should've stayed with Zuko and Ty Lee to make sure Azula gets captured_. At least that way they could try to get some information out of her.

She chewed on her lip. _Too late to turn back now._

* * *

It was no use; Azula knew all her tactics. Ty Lee just couldn't get a direct hit to incapacitate her. And something was so off about her aura that it was downright distracting.

Zuko wasn't faring much better; though he remained unscathed, he hadn't managed to land another hit with his sister zig-zagging in the street and dashing down alleyways. And oddly, she wasn't even trying to hurt them—though the moment they attempted to lose her, Azula would return to the offensive. Zuko's face was an angry, deep red as the sweat began dripping off his chin.

"Why, Azula? Kiyi's our _sister_!"

She responded with a bolt of lightning, forcing them to jump back behind the buildings encasing the side street.

"We have our mother back!" he shouted, "We have the chance to be a family again. Why—why are you doing this?!"

The hooded figure jumped a fence and disappeared into the market center.

Zuko bolted from their hiding spot, yelling as he raced towards the fence in pursuit.

Ty Lee ran over to him and grabbed his arm with both hands. "Zuko, wait!" she whispered loudly. Then, more quietly, "Look, we can't gain an advantage over her like this. Let's hurry back to the palace before she comes back. We could get some backup, and…and maybe Aang and Suki have found Kiyi by now!" she offered, trying to smile against the terror burning in her gut.

Zuko's face softened just a little, though he trembled in her grip. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

"I don't know how the Fire Nation folks get in…there must be a secret passageway somewhere," Aang mused as they flew over the edge of the caldera. Suki's palms were dead white from gripping the glider so hard. "But I remember that this is the area where Toph tunneled us in during the invasion," he continued. At that, he landed them along a flat ledge on the mountainside. He held his hands face forwards, one atop the other, and thrust them down towards the earth, carving a dark, narrow tunnel.

"I hit something! I think we've found it!" he declared happily. Aang lit a fire in his palm as they made their way into the darkness. "There's a series of natural tunnels in the mountainside leading to the bunker. Once we reach that, I'll get to practice my metalbending!" he exclaimed.

"Did you take some lessons from Toph?" Suki asked.

"Oh yeah…after the incident at the Earthen Fire Refinery. Did Sokka tell you about that?"

"Oh, um, didn't he…" she started, before biting her lip. "No…he didn't."

He gave her a rushed and confusing explanation as they jogged down the tunnel. "I felt so horrible!" he was saying. "Katara…everyone was trapped in the mine, and I couldn't do a thing without Toph's students coming to help," he huffed. "So, long story short, she gave me a few lessons before we left. Though I could've gone without being called a 'twinkle toed lily liver' the entire time…"

After navigating a cavern of lava pockets and flying over a river of magma, they reached the bunker wall. Aang formed a unique stance, his fingers bent as he slowly pulled the metal wall apart like heavy curtains. He grunted loudly. "Toph…made this…look easy…" he grumbled to himself.

Finally, he'd made a gap just large enough to squeeze through.

"Yes, we're in! Let's go," Suki said, and they made their way inside. After running down the corridor for several minutes, she noticed that the dusty floors showed fresh footprints—at least five, possibly as many as ten people had run through here recently.

"Aang…I think there are—" but she stopped, gasping as she felt a dart strike her breastplate. Fortunately, her armor was thick enough to prevent it from piercing her skin. "Someone's here! Watch out for—" She stopped again as Aang's fire flickered behind her, and turned to watch him fall hard on his knees, a dart sticking out of his bare shoulder. He stared back at her, his eyes growing foggy, pupils constricting to tiny dots.

She heard the _whisp_ of another dart, and fell flat to the earth, grunting as she rolled towards the wall of the cave.

It was pitch black. Suki heard several shouts and footfalls approaching them. Knees bent, she inched silently but quickly towards them, her hand brushing the rough wall as a reference.

"Wait," a gruff voice commanded and the footfalls quieted. "That poison takes a bit to fully work. Let's make sure they're out cold before we move in."

 _They think I was hit,_ she realized, grinning. She positioned herself further into the hallway than the source of the voice, and waited.

After one silent minute in darkness, someone held out a handful of fire. It took them a few seconds of staring at Aang's crumpled form to realize they were missing a victim—just enough time to chi-block three of the eight-man team before they turned around. _Thank you Ty Lee!_ Suki thought as she pulled out her fans to face the remaining ambushers.

Yet these men were not dressed like Kemurikage, she realized—but like the New Ozai Society members who had attacked Zuko and his family last month. _What? Are they connected to this? Or did we follow the wrong—_ her thoughts were cut short as two men in front sent blasts of fire at her head. She quickly ducked, jabbing each man in turn hard in the knees then reaching behind for a second jab to their backs.

As they keeled over, nursing their wounds, the last three sent repeating blasts at her as she ran towards and up the slanted tunnel walls. Reaching a ledge about halfway up the sides, she readjusted and kicked off hard, propelling herself towards her attackers. Skillfully fanning the flames to the sides, she twisted mid-air and kicked the man before her hard in the face. She rolled off him and just managed to roll out of the way of two more blasts which left the floor scarred black.

Looking up, she saw just one of the two remaining fighters. She switched over to her katana and was about to strike again when a voice behind her cried out—

"Stop! I have the Avatar!" She turned to see the missing hooded figure holding up a limp Aang by his elbow, a blade of fire at his throat. "Don't move, or he's dead."

Suki heard the other attacker approach her from behind, and she turned to keep them both in her line of sight, backing towards the wall of the tunnel with her sword held high.

"I mean it!" he said, the flame in his hand pulsing stronger.

Defeated, she dropped the sword and held her fisted hands palm up in surrender, her face burning in irritation beneath the white war paint. _I'm sorry, Zuko,_ she lamented, grimacing as a dart struck her neck.


	2. Chapter 2

She woke with a yawn, scratching at her neck. Opening her eyes, she saw that her fingernails were covered in blood. Gasping, she touched her neck and felt a small hole just under her jaw line.

"I'd leave that alone if I were you, girl."

Kiyi looked up at the broad man standing above her. She scowled at him.

"Hmph. What an unpleasant child. Just what I would expect as a traitor's filthy offspring," he snarled.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted at him.

Kiyi wavered as the man bent down, his golden eyes boring into her. She gasped as he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her so just the tips of her toes skimmed the floor.

"You better keep quiet, you dirty peasant," he spat at her, throwing her back to the ground. She coughed, eyes watering as she tried to breathe again.

Her attacker turned as two masked men marched through the door.

"Sir, the evacuation is nearly complete," one of them stated.

"Good, good. I have other things to attend to, so I'm placing this little brat in your custody. Take her with the rest of the Society members and keep her locked up until I send you further orders."

"You…you're not coming with us, sir?" the other man asked.

The older man's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, I'm staying here to ensure everything will work out to take that _imposter_ out of power." With that, the two men bowed as he exited the room.

The second man walked forward and tried to pick Kiyi up. She screamed and flailed around, knocking the bottom of his chin hard with her head.

"Great spirits! Why'd we get stuck with the kid!?" he said through gritted teeth, rubbing his jaw.

"Move away, I'll take care of her," said the other. He was holding out a small tube to his lips. The dart hit her shoulder and before she could scream, all went dark.

* * *

Zuko had been yelling at his guards for the past half hour, first organizing a dozen firebending teams to search for Azula and the rest of the kidnappers, and then several foot soldier units to lock down Caldera and Harbor cities. An hour later, he was informed of a strange earthbent tunnel discovered along the caldera's rim.

 _Aang and Suki must've gone into one of the bunkers,_ he reasoned. Zuko took the remaining Kyoshi Warriors and made his way to the bunker entrance through the passages beneath the palace.

Zuko stared at the sloppy, metal-bent tear in his bunker door.

"Yep, Aang was here," _unless Toph made a surprise visit,_ he thought wryly. _And we just barely had this fixed since the invasion…_

Once they had all squeezed in, the warrior named Jaya studied the floor for several moments. "They went this way," she stated, leading them to the right. They moved quickly but cautiously for about a quarter mile before coming upon quite the scene: six knocked-out New Ozai Society members, several scorch marks along the floor, one airbender's staff, and an unsheathed katana.

Ty Lee bounced over to the staff. "It looks like they took 'em out…but why would Aang leave his glider?"

Zuko bent down and picked up Suki's sword in turn, placing the blade atop his open palm. "This wasn't a mistake, Ty Lee." He scowled as he looked up at her. "They were captured."

* * *

Aang's head was pulsing as he woke.

"Owww…my head…and why are my legs throbbing?" Sitting up, he lit a handful of fire and saw two bloody, scuffed up knees.

 _Oh. That's why._

He felt dizzy. "What happened? What was I do—oh, oh no!" he shouted. Leaping up, he scanned his surroundings—a small, metal-walled prison cell—before the blood rushed to his head and he was collapsing back onto the cold, hard ground.

Sometime later, he opened his eyes again. _Uugh, still here,_ he thought grimly. _Ok, so I was with Suki, and we were going after the kidnappers,_ he processed. _Let's see, I'm trapped in a prison cell, a metal prison cell…_ his eyes popped open as his face split into a wicked smirk.

Standing up slowly, he felt another wave of vertigo but managed to hobble over to the door. After several attempts he managed to metalbend the lock apart. He pulled the door back and made his way cautiously into the corridor.

"Suki! Are you here?" he whispered harshly as he looked through the grates of each prison cell in the hall. They were all empty.

Abandoning caution, he called out. "SUKI? SUKI!"

Light from a fire answered him as it approached from the far end of the hall, several shadows growing larger as they rounded the corner. Aang, still feeling whoozy, gulped.

* * *

After tying up the New Ozai Society soldiers, Zuko and his guards approached the prison of the underground bunker. "Suki! Aang!" he called out. Turning back to the Kyoshi Warriors, he directed, "Search every cell! They might be—"

"ZUKO!"

Aang popped out from behind a door at the far end of the passageway. "Phew! I thought you were more of those guys with the darts…"

"I'm so glad you're all right, buddy," Zuko said, clasping a hand on the airbender's shoulder when he bounded over. Ty Lee handed him his staff. "Hang on, darts? Did you find the kidnappers?" Zuko asked.

"I dunno, I heard a few footsteps but it was dark and they got me right when—"

"Wait," Zuko interrupted, "Where's Suki? Isn't she with you, Aang?"

Aang frowned. "I checked all the prison cells down this hall. She's not here. I don't even know what happened to her after that dart knocked me out."

"I shouldn't have let you two go alone." Zuko frowned. "I—I made a bad call, and now Suki's—"

"Don't worry, Fire Lord," Jaya said from behind them. Zuko turned to look at her. "If anyone can take care of herself, it's Suki," she smiled. The other Kyoshi Warriors gave firm nods in agreement.

Zuko gave them a small smile in return. _Of course. Why am I worried about her?_ "Alright, let's move out."

* * *

Suki had been awake for almost an hour, silently stretching her limbs as the feeling came back to them and the fogginess in her head slowly gave way. The nausea from the poisoned dart was only magnified by the back and forth motion of the floors, slowing her recovery. Just now she sat motionless by the door, listening carefully to a conversation taking place down the hall.

"I don't get it. Why did we leave the Avatar behind?"

"How would that look? Kidnapping the _Avatar?_ We don't want this becoming an international issue, you idiot," a gruff voice responded. "Plus, I'd rather not deal with an angry Avatar when he wakes up."

"I dunno, I think I'm more scared of that girl…she took the others out in under a minute!" the first man said nervously. "And what about them, anyway? Won't they be captured?"

"Whatever. I wasn't gonna drag their sorry butts along. Besides, _we_ got the Fire Lord's head guard! We've earned ourselves a big reward as soon as Ozai's back in power."

 _Yeah, not gonna happen,_ Suki thought. At least that guy's big mouth had given her some important information. _Aang is back in the bunker… Hopefully Zuko and the other warriors have found him by now._ From the rocking she knew she was on a boat, but since no light entered her room she couldn't tell how much time had passed. _Ok, so I just have to commandeer this ship and get back to the palace. Doable._ She smiled to herself. _And maybe they're keeping Kiyi and the other kids here!_

Feeling almost herself again, she stood and jumped silently, grabbing the wooden beams in the ceiling above her, swinging herself up so that she could brace herself between them just above the door.

Smirking impishly, she cried out. "Help! Help me! Please!"

Footsteps approached. "Be quiet in there! Why are you—" He gasped. "W-where is she!?" the man cried, looking through the narrow grates in the doorway to the empty room.

"What are you talking about? Move over, moron," the older one muttered. His eyes grew wide as he looked inside. "WHERE IS SHE?" he hollered. He hastily unlocked the door and rushed inside.

Suki let go.

* * *

"Wow, look at all these toys! Were these yours, Zuko?"

Zuko glared across the room, the walls of bunk beds and scattered toys beginning to blur out of focus. "No, Aang. I've never seen these before." He squeezed his eyes shut. "We—we missed them."

"You mean, the kidnapped kids?" Aang asked. "Then we can't be far behind! They must have taken everyone and left after they attacked me and Suki. And—and it looks like they're taking pretty good care of them," he added as an afterthought.

Zuko didn't react to him. "I can't believe Azula has been using this place this whole time. I should've had guards monitoring it! I just didn't think…" he trailed off. Recovering, he addressed the others. "I'll send a couple teams to search the remaining bunkers, but I believe they've deserted this place. We'll head back to see if there's any news from the other units yet," he directed.

Zuko took up the rear as Aang and the warriors backtracked to the palace. He felt himself nearing his breaking point. It felt like his heart had dropped into his stomach, his chin beginning to tremble and as he tried to hold back his anxiety.

 _Oh Agni, please let Kiyi be all right. Please…_

* * *

It took a full minute to subdue the two guards. _The drug is still slowing me down,_ Suki thought, though she didn't want to waste any more time recovering. With the two guards unconscious and locked in the cell, she scanned the surrounding rooms for her fans, katana, and armor.

 _Nothing,_ she thought, frowning. _Maybe I should have asked them about that before I knocked them out…_

She made her way carefully out a door at the end of the narrow hall and up a short flight of steps. From the opposite side of the door, she could smell something burning. Curious, she navigated a couple more hallways on the floor above while checking the rest of the rooms for other captives—strangely, all empty—and came to a door with smoke seeping out the edges.

 _A fire!? This could burn the ship down! I have to find something to—_ but at that moment she heard a small cough from behind the door. She lifted up the outer skirt of her uniform to cover her nose and mouth, and turned the door handle. _Locked!_ she thought desperately. Several hard kicks and she managed to get in, the door already weakened by a fire encompassing the other side. Jumping over the fire, she ducked quickly to the floor beneath the heavy blanket of smoke. At the far end of the room lay the limp form of a little girl in pink Fire Nation sleepwear.

"Kiyi!" Suki cried, immediately coughing as smoke filled her lungs. She crawled over quickly and managed to scoop up the lifeless form and make it back out the door before it was completely encompassed by flames.

Outside, she could hear raised voices and the pounding of footsteps of someone in the adjacent hall. She quickly ran the opposite direction and turned a corner. Eyes watering, she leaned against the wall, trying desperately not to cough as she looked down at Kiyi's unconscious body in her arms. Her small chest was just barely rising with each breath.

 _Please stay with me, Kiyi!_ Suki thought frantically as she dashed down the corridor in search of an escape.


	3. Chapter 3

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING?!" Zuko bellowed. Constable Sung's replacement, a broad but short man in his thirties, was shaking in his boots while standing at attention before him.

"I—I'm sorry, Fire Lord," he stuttered. "None of the teams have found any unusual activity. We…we don't have any new leads."

 _I'm starting to regret letting go of Sung,_ Zuko steamed, literally, the smoke curling out of his nostrils. _Maybe it's worth a little insubordination to have a man who knows what he's doing…_ "Where's Aang!?" he bellowed. "Someone go and—"

He stopped as the Avatar bounded over. "I've decided we'll search for them ourselves," Zuko told him. "Go wake up Appa and—" Zuko paused again, and looked down at his friend sheepishly. "If that's okay."

Aang grabbed Zuko's shoulder, smiling. "No problem, buddy. Don't worry, I give you an Avatar promise that we'll find Kiyi and get this all figured out."

"Thanks, Aang," Zuko said, his attempt to smile coming out as a grimace. He just couldn't stop worrying. _I just hope she'll be the same after we find her._

While Aang went to get Appa, Zuko brushed past several servants in the halls on his way to his room. Ty Lee came running up to him. "What are your orders, Zuko?" she asked him.

"No one has seen a trace of Azula or the other kidnappers, so Aang and I are taking Appa to search for them. We should be able to spot anything out of the ordinary from the air," Zuko reasoned, partly to himself. He looked down at Ty Lee. "Please, stay here with the other Kyoshi Warriors and protect my mother and Noren."

"Will do!" she agreed, giving him a swift Fire Nation bow.

Zuko sprinted the remaining length to his chambers. After carefully putting aside the katana which he'd been carrying in his belt, he threw off the Fire Lord robes in exchange for his travel attire. Tugging the Fire Lord's headpiece out of his tangled hair, he grabbed his broadswords and threw them into the holster on his back. At the last moment, he tucked Suki's sword back into his belt.

By this point he heard Appa's roar outside the window. Rushing over, he jumped onto the roof and waved them down. Grabbing Aang's arm, he hauled himself into the saddle and they took off.

"Where to?" Aang asked.

Zuko scanned the horizon, trying to calm his mind as he thought it out. _If none of my troops can find them in the cities, then they've either fled into the foothills or taken an ocean vessel to escape,_ he reasoned. It didn't seem very practical to drag a bunch of kids into the mountains.

"Take us to the harbor, Aang."

* * *

Ursa woke to a loud sound from outside their window—it almost sounded like a roar. She reached out for Kiyi, her hands feeling nothing but cold sheets.

She sat up quickly. "Noren!" she gasped, shaking him awake. "Where's Kiyi?!"

Grunting lightly, he rolled towards her. "I heard Zuko come in several hours ago and take her to bed," he whispered. He reached for her hand and ran his thumb back and forth over her wrist. "Would you like me to go check on her?"

"No, no go back to sleep." Ursa replied. "I'll go. I'm sorry I woke you…"

Noren smiled and closed his eyes. She slipped into her shoes and robe and crept quietly out the door. Making her way down the moonlit hallway, she hesitated outside Kiyi's bedroom. _Maybe I'm just being paranoid,_ she thought, frowning. She opened the door wide enough for some light to fall on the bed.

It was empty. The curtains flapped back and forth violently from the open window.

"No...no! Kiyi! Where are you?" She cried hysterically, scanning the room as she ran to the bedside. Suddenly, she felt cold as ice, and everything went black.

* * *

Suki ran into several more New Ozai Society members while making her way to the ship's deck, but managed to duck into a doorway or behind a corner each time before she was spotted. She knew she could have handled them, but didn't want to attract attention and waste time getting Kiyi off this burning ship and back to the capitol where she could get medical attention.

The masked fighters didn't seem as concerned about the missing prisoners as they were with the fire, anyway. She heard their shouts magnify as she climbed the final staircase to the deck. As she emerged, she saw the disarray of men scrambling to grab a spot on the few lifeboats being hauled over the sides of the ship.

Hugging Kiyi close to her chest, she ducked behind some crates as she tried to formulate a plan. _What in the world are firebenders doing on a wooden ship, anyway?_ She looked up the mast, and noticed the prominent Water Tribe patterns waving in the night sky. _They must have stolen it…_ she thought darkly.

Suki began to feel sweat dripping down her face and neck from the last half hour of exertion and from the growing heat of the burning ship. Suddenly, the mast began to creak, threatening to topple over onto the deck. Everything was illuminated in an orange haze as flames started to crawl up the stairs and onto the deck.

Beginning to panic, Suki considered if it would be worth it to give themselves up; at least that way they could get a spot on one of the life vessels. Chancing a peak over the crates, she saw several men being shoved over the side as others tried to get down into the small boats first.

 _Nope, not worth it,_ she realized grimly. She knew that, alone, she could stand treading water for at least a day or two, but she doubted Kiyi would survive in the cool water for more than a few hours.

The mast creaked again, loudly. In a split-second decision, Suki gently set Kiyi down away from the flames and tore off the top of one of the larger crates. She dragged it over to the side of the deck—no one was paying them any attention at this point—and threw it overboard. Reaching over the hull, she untied a section of rope and let one end drop into the ocean, securing her end tightly. Then she picked up Kiyi and used the rope to rappel off the hull and into the dark water below.

She reached the water's surface just as the mast toppled over completely. Holding Kiyi's head above the water, Suki kick-swam over to the crate lid, dodging pieces of flaming debris. She dragged the child's body onto the makeshift raft and finally took in her wider surroundings.

 _Harbor City!_ she thought, relieved. She could just make out the dim, urban glow on the horizon. _At least, I hope it's Harbor City, or I was out longer than I thought…_ Suki grabbed Kiyi's small hand and checked her pulse. "Thank goodness, you're still with me," she gently dragged Kiyi's wet hair out of her face and sighed, unsure if she dare hope that help was on the way.

* * *

When Ursa didn't return, Noren grew uneasy. _She probably just decided to sleep with Kiyi tonight,_ he thought. _Though, she hasn't seemed herself lately..._ After mulling it over for a few minutes, he decided to check on her. As he left the room, two Kyoshi Warriors ran down the hall towards him.

"Noren! Is everything okay?" Ty Lee asked, frantic.

"Of course. I was just going to check on my girls..." The warriors looked uncomfortable. "Something's happened," he stated. It wasn't a question.

Jaya took a deep breath. "Kiyi has been…taken, by the Kemurikage."

"Wha—what? No, no she can't have—how?" He leaned against the wall before his legs could give way beneath him. "I thought we were safe here…"

"I'm so sorry, Noren," Jaya said sincerely. Ty Lee nodded sadly in agreement as the older man began to shake.

"I know this probably doesn't help much, but there is some good news," Jaya went on, ever the pragmatist. "We have strong reason to believe these are ordinary people, not spirits, who we're dealing with," she explained. "The Fire Lord has sent his entire force out to search for them, and he himself is in pursuit with the Avatar as we speak."

"I should be helping," Noren said determinedly. "But, where's Ursa? Does she know? I need to find her, tell her…" Without waiting for a reply, he ran down the corridor towards Kiyi's room. The door was wide open. He ran up to the opening and stopped upon seeing his wife lying on the ground next to their daughter's bed.

"Ursa!" he cried, running over to kneel by her side. She felt cold as ice. "Ursa? Sweetheart, wake up." She didn't respond.

"HELP! Someone, help me!" he bellowed towards the door. Kneeling on the ground, he picked up his wife and cradled her in his arms. " _Please_ , Ursa," he whispered, his face contorted. "I—I can't lose you again. _Please…"_


	4. Chapter 4

"Zuko, do you see that?" Aang asked him. Pausing his scan of the harbor vessels, he looked out to the ocean. It was hard to tell with the faint morning glow on the horizon, but it seem liked there was an orange light burning especially bright to the northeast.

"It almost looks like…a fire. We better check it out," he directed.

Aang pulled on the reins. "Yip yip, Appa!"

A couple hours later, they could just make out several fires clustered in the water ahead of them, smoke choking out the rising sun.

"I have a horrible feeling about this," Zuko said nervously. Aang turned to look at him, his brows furrowed.

It was several more minutes before Aang called out—"Zuko, look! I think—I think I see somebody!"

Zuko leaned half his body over the side of Appa's saddle, nearly toppling out. In the dim morning light he could see a raft holding a small, pink bundle. A green-clad figure was propelling the raft slowly their direction, waving an arm frantically at them.

"It's Suki!" Zuko shouted. Aang was already guiding the flying bison towards her. As they approached, Zuko recognized the little bundle.

"KIYI!" he exclaimed as Aang landed Appa in the water. The creature let out a low roar. Zuko stripped off his swords and jumped out of the saddle. He slid down Appa's side into the water, reaching out to touch Kiyi's arm. She didn't respond. Heart pounding, he placed a hand on her chest and felt the small rise and fall of her lungs.

"She's alive," he breathed, his chest feeling immediately lighter.

Aang floated down to the raft. "Here, I'll take her up so she doesn't have to get back in the water," he said. He gently picked up the girl, propelling them both back into the saddle with a gust of air.

Zuko looked back at Suki—her eyes were closed and her breathing was ragged as she barely kept a hold on the raft. He swam around to her side and swung her arm over his shoulder, griping her waist tightly as he swam one-handed back to Appa. Guiding her up Appa's leg, him and Aang then helped pull her into the saddle.

"Here," Aang offered as he waterbent the moisture out of Kiyi and Suki's clothes.

"Thank you, both," Suki said quietly. She laid down on her back without another word, chest rising and falling rapidly.

As Aang jumped back down to Appa's head and began guiding them back towards the city, Zuko turned to Kiyi. Her skin was freezing and her face white as a sheet. He also noticed several bruises forming along the front of her neck. _I'm going to kill whoever did this,_ Zuko thought as he quickly stripped off her salt-sticky clothes and wrapped her in one of the Water Tribe blankets Aang carried in the saddle. It was getting harder and harder to tell if she was breathing, and he found himself checking several times a minute to make sure she hadn't stopped.

"Aang! I don't know if she's going to make it!" Zuko cried out raggedly. "Please…what can we do? There has to be _something_ we can do!"

"I—I don't know! Yip yip, Appa! We have to hurry!" Aang shouted.

Several more minutes passed, and Zuko was getting frantic. _Stop. Think,_ he told himself. He tried to calm down enough to think clearly, but only felt his stomach pushing its way up his throat.

"Aang, take Appa closer to the water," Suki called out firmly.

"Uh, yes. On it!" Aang seemed shocked to hear her speak, but obeyed.

Zuko turned to look at her. She met his eyes. "Kiyi inhaled a lot of smoke before we escaped the boat," Suki explained. "The higher altitude was probably making it even harder to breathe."

"Ugh, of course," Zuko said, slapping his palm to his temple.

"Hey, that gives me an idea," Aang called back at them. Then, more timidly, "But…I've never tried this before."

"What? What is it?" Zuko asked him.

"I could try to concentrate the air around her head using airbending. Like how the air is denser near the surface, where it's easier to breathe," he explained.

"That sounds reasonable. I trust you, Aang," Zuko replied. "Umm, I'll take over the reins…"

Suki touched his arm. "No, I will. I'm feeling better now. Stay here with her." She climbed gingerly over the saddle as Aang bounded back towards him.

Taking a deep breath, Aang slowly circled his hands around each other so that streams of air from around Appa were flowing into the space near Kiyi's head. After what felt like an eternity, Zuko noticed her chest rising and falling more noticeably and steadily. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. After several more minutes, Kiyi's face contorted and she opened one eye.

"Zuzu?" she said, blinking up at him.

He scooped her up and held her tight. "You're okay now, you're okay," he choked out, not minding the tears flowing down his face.

* * *

Mai heard soft voices from the shop below. _It's not time to open yet, is it?_ Sighing, she fastened a couple stiletto sets to her wrists and pulled on a robe before stealing silently downstairs.

"Oh, oh my goodness, _"_ her mother was whispering to the young man sitting with her. "Are you sure? If the Fire Lord's own sister is missing, is there even any chance for—" she stopped, cupping her hand over her mouth to stop a sob.

"Kei Lo?" Mai interrupted. "What's going on?"

He rested a hand on Michi's shoulder before looking up at her. "The entire capital city's under lockdown. I mean, out here in the country we're far enough away not to worry, but I just wanted to be…to make sure you were okay."

"Of course I'm okay. Why are you talking about Azula?" she probed.

"Not Azula, Mai. Zuko's half-sister, the one who's here from Hira'a," he explained. "She was taken by the Kemurikage last night."

Mai felt her stomach turn. She wasn't sure how she felt. _Maybe this will finally get Zuko to DO something about this,_ she thought, though after having Tom-Tom taken she wouldn't have wished the same on anyone.

Mai's mother looked up at her. "The Fire Lord couldn't even protect his own family," she despaired. "How can we ever hope they'll find Tom-Tom now?" Her voice caught again and she let her face collapse in both hands. Kei Lo rubbed Michi's arm awkwardly, glancing back at Mai.

"I'll take her back to bed," she said blankly. After helping her mother lie down she quickly got ready for the day and returned to the shop downstairs.

"Okay, details please," Mai asked him. Holding her hand on the countertop, Kei Lo explained how Caldera City had been on lockdown since late last night, invoking riots in several areas. "I'm just glad we decided to come back last night," he said. He looked over his shoulder at the quiet street outside.

"I'd bet anything my father is responsible for the riots," Mai said reproachfully.

Kei Lo turned back to her, looking serious. "Are you…considering turning him in, after all?"

Mai pulled back her hand. "What? No. I know what he did was horrible, but I don't care. I already told you, once we get Tom-Tom back he'll need our father's protection. That's something my mom and I can't offer here." She felt ashamed to say it.

"Mai, I don't think—look, you just aren't thinking clearly," Kei Lo started. She shot him an icy glare. "Wait! Just hear me out."

"Stop trying to change my mind, Kei Lo. I'm not turning my father in. I'm sorry I'm not as _loyal_ as you are—oh, wait! Wasn't it _you_ who was a member of—"

"STOP! Just stop. For one minute," he pressed. She folded her arms and glared at him. "Just think about it," he continued. "Your dad thinks Tom-Tom would've been safer with him, but wasn't the reason you took him to live with you because your dad _wasn't_ keeping him safe? He brought him to that New Ozai Society meeting, remember?"

Mai's felt her resolve weaken, just a little.

"Plus, if he's involved in this like you think, that means he _allowed_ Tom-Tom to get taken in the first place!"

"Wait, what? You think my father is responsible for the kidnappings?" Mai asked.

"I don't know, Mai," Kei Lo admitted. "But you did suspect him of knowing more than he was letting on about the Kemurikage, didn't you?"

Mai sighed. "No way, that's not what I meant at all. He was probably just using the situation to stir up opposition against Zuko." She grimaced. "I'm just…I'm feeling really confused. About everything. I don't know what to do. I just can't think clearly with Tom-Tom gone." She let her face fall into her palms to hide a pained expression.

Kei Lo put a cautious arm around her shoulders. When she didn't react, he tightened it. "Mai, I'm sorry. Really. I know what you're going through is harder than you've let on." He bit his lip. "Look, I won't bring it up again, okay? I'll go along with whatever you want to do."

Suddenly, she looked up at him, smirking. "Whatever I want?" He raised a brow at her. Turning serious, she said, "Then it's time to find Tom-Tom ourselves."

* * *

Suki was doing her best to guide Appa back to the city. The after effects of the dart's drug and the exertion of the past night were finally catching up to her. Plus, the fatigue was making her less immune to the cold—her teeth were chattering like mad. At least the cool breeze was keeping her from nodding off on the spot.

Soon, however, not even that could stop her eyelids from drooping.

She wasn't sure how long it had been when strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and guided her back into the saddle. She found herself engulfed in a heavy blanket while warm hands rubbed the heat back into her arms.

"I have no idea what happened," Zuko told her, stopping suddenly. "But I know that the only reason Kiyi's alive is because of you." Suddenly, he embraced her tightly. " _Thank you,_ Suki. I just—thank you."

Too tired to respond, she simply nodded into his shoulder. He released her quickly. "Sorry, umm," he flushed. "I'll let you sleep now."

She smiled at him, eyes drooping, and fell asleep the moment her head hit the saddle.


	5. Chapter 5

Kiyi had fallen into a peaceful sleep soon after she awoke, and Zuko held her on his lap for the rest of the flight back to the city, keeping her warm against the ocean wind. With his other hand, he tried to bend some heat into the bundle of blankets that was Suki. _What happened to them?_ He thought. Now that Kiyi was out of danger, he began to worry about who else had been on that boat. _I hope the other children weren't there too. No…no they couldn't have been. Suki would've said something._

Brows furrowed, he glanced up to see the capital city again. It was now midday, and several pillars of smoke could be seen twirling towards the sky from the town center.

Alarmed, Zuko called out to Aang, "Can you see what's going on?"

Aang turned back to him. "Not exactly. But there's a crowd gathered in the square and it looks like they're facing off some of the soldiers."

"Uugh, this is exactly why I resisted a curfew in the first place," Zuko fumed.

They flew around the area of chaos and soon landed at the palace entrance. Zuko gently shook Suki awake. "Hey, we're back," he said.

"Mmmhmm," she mumbled. What little face paint remained smeared further as she rubbed her eyes. Her expression brightened as she looked behind him. "Is that my katana?"

"Oh, yeah. We found it in the bunker last night," he replied. He grabbed it with his free hand and held it out to her.

She grinned as she took it. "Thanks, Zuko! I thought it had gone down with the ship. Looks like my armor and fans did, though…"

"Speaking of the ship," Zuko probed. "I know you probably want to rest, but could you give me a quick briefing of what happened? I need to figure out what to do next."

"Of course. You should get Kiyi to a healer first, though," she replied. "I'll meet you in your office in a half hour."

* * *

Suki dragged herself to her room to wash up, change into clean robes, and quickly reapply her warrior paint. She had a spare set of armor, but would have to go without the head plate and fans for now. On her way out, she saw Ty Lee running towards her.

"Suki! Thank goodness you're back!" the girl exclaimed as they embraced. "Are you okay? What happened? Did you find Kiyi?"

"Yes, yes, I'm okay! And it's a long story—but Kiyi's here, and she's safe."

"Oh that's _so_ good!" Ty Lee said. Suddenly, she looked sad. "But something's happened…where's Zuko?"

"He's taking care of Kiyi…what? What's happened now?"

"It's Zuko's mom," Ty Lee explained. "Noren found her unconscious last night. She's been with the healers ever since, but they don't have a clue what's wrong with her!" She looked close to tears.

Suki frowned. _Spirits, he gets Kiyi back only to find his mother's now in danger,_ she thought. She put a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder. "It'll be okay. I'm going to go check on Zuko—he took Kiyi to the healers so he must know about this by now. Are _you_ going to be okay?"

Ty Lee nodded. Suki gave her shoulder a squeeze then took off towards Ursa's room. From the far end of hall, she saw the Fire Lord yelling at one of the healers.

"How can you not know what's wrong?! What am I paying you for?" he bellowed, jabbing a finger at the man's chest. "Get out of my sight!" He pushed the healer out of his way and went into the room. "All of you, out!" she heard him yell. Several other servants emerged and raced quickly away. The bedroom door slammed shut behind them.

Suki approached the first healer, who had lingered behind. "I'm sorry. I don't think he's really mad at you…just upset with everything that's happening," she attempted.

"Oh I know, my dear," the older man said. He looked at her kindly. "I was among those who helped treat Fire Lord Zuko as a child, after the Agni Kai with Ozai. I am no stranger to his temper…nor do I blame him for it."

She nodded. The man wore a simple necklace over his red robes with a white lotus pendant at the bottom. _Of course,_ she thought, smiling to herself. "How is Kiyi doing?" she asked.

"She's well. She'll just need a few days of rest. Her father is with her now."

"That's good. Thank you for all your help," she told him with a bow. She then turned towards the door and hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!" Zuko shouted. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her as he held Ursa against him.

"Zuko, it's me," Suki said sadly. He turned around quickly, his right eye wide. She continued, "I just wanted to make sure you were—well, to see if there was anything we could do to help."

"Suki, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you." His face scrunched up in pain. "Please...don't leave," he said, biting his lip before looking back down at his mother.

Tentatively, Suki approached the bedside and sat beside him. He was cradling Ursa against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. He looked down as he spoke. "She's so cold, _unnaturally_ cold, and those stupid heating pads weren't doing any good." Suki noticed several of the pads thrown against the wall. "I thought…well, I can increase my body temperature, so maybe I could at least keep her warm…" he trailed off, looking hopeless. "I just—how can I handle finding those kids right now? I feel so overwhelmed."

"Zuko, you don't have to do this alone. You have everyone's help," Suki offered.

He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "You're right. I still have a hard time realizing that." He looked across the room as he continued. "For so long, I had to figure things out on my own. I guess I still can't understand how I got so lucky to have so many good friends after…after everything I did, everything I was. I don't deserve it."

Suki hesitated before placing her hand on his back. "Zuko, you _do_ deserve it. You overcame so much and made so many sacrifices to become who you are now. I wish you could see yourself as I—as we all see you."

For just a moment he held her gaze, eyes full of gratitude. Suki felt a sudden warmth in her chest. Then he turned his attention back to his mother, biting his lip again to hold back the moisture in his eyes. Suki placed her other hand gingerly on his arm.

After several minutes of silence, he cleared his throat and began asking her about the previous night. She filled him in on what she'd found out.

"The New Ozai Society?" Zuko cut in at one point. "I can't believe they're involved in this."

"I know. I thought maybe Aang and I ran into them by accident. That is, until I found Kiyi on that ship."

"And you're sure the other kids weren't there?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm almost positive—I checked most of the rooms on the ship and didn't see any children on deck while everyone was evacuating. For some reason, only Kiyi and I were being held there."

"That's so strange," he said slowly. "But I do think I know how to proceed, for now. Could you organize some of my forces to go pick up the Society members in the lifeboats? We should start by questioning them."

"Of course, Zuko," Suki replied, pulling her arms away and falling back into guard mentality as she stood and bowed.

She didn't notice his gaze follow her as she left the room.

* * *

"So look, I'm all in on this plan. But…how do we even know where to start looking?"

Mai rubbed her knife across the sharpening stone quickly. "Well, we…we'll figure it out."

Kei Lo raised his brows, but she stubbornly concentrated on her task. He plopped down on the couch beside her, leaning lazily against the armrest. "Well," he said casually, "We could…try looking for clues in the capital, since that's where most of the kidnappings have happened."

"I thought you said the capital was under lockdown?" Mai asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, it is. But you're dating a criminal mastermind, remember?"

Mai rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her mouth. "Okay, let's say you get us in. Then what?"

Kei Lo sat up and moved closer to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Oh, I don't know. We could ask around, watch for suspicious activity, maybe see if…" He stopped suddenly, pursing his lips.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I just figured it'd be a good place to start."

Mai thought while Kei Lo twisted a strand of her hair around his finger. _Agni, he's distracting,_ she thought, though she smiled. "Fine. Capital City it is, then."

* * *

Zuko finally laid his mother back down and grudgingly let the healers back in to care for her. He forced himself to his room to bathe and change back into his Fire Lord robes before checking in on Kiyi and Noren.

"Zuzu!" Kiyi shouted as he entered the room. She tried to hop out of bed but Noren held her still.

"The healers said you need to _rest_ , baby girl," Noren told her. He looked up at Zuko. "I think I'll head back to be with Ursa now," he said sadly.

"I'll have someone set up another bed in your room this evening, so you can all stay together," Zuko replied. Noren nodded gratefully and stood, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder before walking out of the room.

 _Man, I still sort of wish that guy was my real dad,_ Zuko thought. He had barely taken a seat on the edge of the bed before Kiyi hopped up into his lap.

"How do you feel?" he asked her, noticing the white bandage wrapped around her throat.

"Pretty good," she said happily.

Zuko hesitated, but then asked quietly, "Did they…Kiyi, if they did anything to…hurt you, you know you can tell me or your daddy, right?"

She cocked her head at him. "Well, I kind of remember a big mean man with yellow eyes. He grabbed my neck so tight I couldn't breathe. It was really scary…" Suddenly, she looked close to tears.

"Kiyi, I'm so sorry," he said, holding her close and trying not to think about what he would do to that man once he found him. A few minutes later he asked, "Do you remember anything else?"

"Not really. I kept falling asleep. But it doesn't hurt too bad," she said, poking the bandage. Then she brightened again. "And once Mommy comes back, I have a surprise for her!"

Zuko frowned, but simply asked, "What surprise?"

She looked him square in the eye. "You promise to keep it a secret?" He nodded. Then she cupped a hand next to his ear and whispered, " _I can firebend!_ "

He pulled her forward quickly. "What? Are—are you serious, Kiyi? That's amazing! When did you figure it out?"

She looked guilty all of a sudden. "Well…last night I was all alone in a room and the door was locked. I wanted to get out so bad that I got really angry and suddenly fire came out of my fist! So I thought, well I tried to…to burn down the door so I could get out. But then…"

"…the fire got out of control." Zuko finished for her, his heart pounding. "Kiyi, you have to be very careful with fire. You could have…" He hugged her tight again as he thought about what might have happened. "I'm just glad Suki got there when she did."

"Suki? The pretty warrior?"

"Umm…" Zuko's face reddened as he looked behind him, but he didn't see anyone. " _Yes,_ that's her," he whispered. "You were…asleep…but she saved your life, Kiyi. Make sure to thank her when you see her."

"Okay, Zuzu." Kiyi had nestled herself against his chest, her eyelids suddenly drooping. He held her until she fell asleep, then walked down the hall to tuck her into bed next to their mother.

* * *

Aang was flying back from the stables when he caught sight of Suki speaking with several of Zuko's naval officers in the palace entrance. He landed off to the side and waited as she sent the men and women off towards Harbor City.

"Suki!" he called out once she turned around. "What're you doing? I thought you'd still be recuperating after last night…" he said. He then noticed her unusually sullen expression. "What's the matter?"

"Aang, you've been with Appa since we got back, right?" He nodded. "Let me fill you in." She gave him a quick rundown on what she'd told Zuko about the New Ozai Society's involvement as well as Ursa's condition. "So Zuko's still with her now. In fact…I was wondering if you could help with that."

Aang looked at his feet. "I really can't do much healing at all. Things have been so busy since the end of the war. I was actually planning to have Katara teach me while we were at the South Pole, but then I came here and –"

"That's okay, Aang," Suki cut in. "I was more curious if you could take Appa and _find_ us a waterbending healer. I know they're all really far away, but maybe once Appa gets some rest…"

Aang perked up. "Of course! I'll do whatever I can to help. And since we know the Kemurikage aren't really spirits, I guess me being the 'bridge between worlds' isn't as important now."

Suki smiled. "Thank you, Aang. Where do you think you'll go?"

"Well, I know Katara and Sokka are on their way to the South Pole. They had to sail out from Ba Sing Se a few days ago so they're probably not too far from us right now." He thought about how anxious Katara was to see their dad, _but she's always willing to help those who need her,_ he thought. _She'd definitely want to help Ursa if she knew_. "I think I'll try to locate their ship and bring them here," he continued.

Suki looked a little uncomfortable, but said nothing. "Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"What? No! No, that's wonderful Aang," she replied, though she didn't look him in the eyes.

Aang furrowed his brows, but continued. "There's usually only one or two Water Tribe ships en route between Ba Sing Se and the South Pole at one time, so it should be easy to—"

"Wha—what? What did you say?" Suki exclaimed, her eyes widening.

 _This girl really needs some sleep,_ Aang thought to himself. "I said there's usually only one or two—"

"Oh—oh spirits," Suki interrupted, putting her hand to her chest. "Aang, the ship we were taken on last night—it was a stolen Water Tribe ship!"

Aang felt his heart drop into his stomach as he clung to his staff. _No…Katara…_


	6. Chapter 6

Just before dusk, Mai and Kei Lo arrived at the base of the caldera. Together, they hopped down from the back of the moving wagon and onto the dusty country road.

"Thanks!" Kei Lo called out to the farmer, who simply waved his arm without turning around. Dirt spiraled around them in his wake.

"Uck!" Mai chocked out, coughing as she held her sleeve over her mouth.

Kei Lo chuckled. "You're such a noblewoman."

She glared at him. "Whatever! I've—" She stopped when she caught the coy look on Kei Lo's face in the semi-darkness.

"I think it's kind of cute," he said quietly, a crooked smile plastered on his face. He grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's get moving."

They crept along the base of the mountain for a couple miles before entering Harbor City. The tall smokestacks and steel-plated buildings felt extra foreboding in the growing darkness. The place had a sour, greasy smell to it, but Mai kept the thought to herself as they worked their way between broken-down machinery and across narrow metal plating that ran over a small, murky stream.

At last they reached a larger road, illuminated by a dozen fires from the palace guardsmen. Kei Lo pulled her gently into a small opening between several crates. "Wait here for a minute," he whispered. He climbed up the stack and out of sight.

Mai counted her knives while she waited. Then she counted them again. _Ugh, Kei Lo! Where are—_ She gasped as someone jumped down from the roof above.

"Now's our chance, let's go!" Kei Lo breathed. She followed him towards the main road, where a large covered supply wagon stood in the shadows, its door wide open and unguarded. Mai glanced up and down the road, where several troops were preparing to depart. Together, they crouched low and snuck into the wagon. Mai pulled Kei Lo down behind several wooden crates just as voices approached. Soon, the light from the street was extinguished as the door was sealed shut.

Mai breathed rapidly, her heart beating like mad. She smiled in spite of herself; it really had been too long since she'd done something this exciting. For just a moment, she tried not think about _why_ they were doing this, but it wasn't long before thoughts of Tom-Tom flooded her with anxiety once again.

* * *

The twenty-eight surviving New Ozai Society members knelt before him on the ship deck, hands tied behind their backs. It was now dark, and the light of several fires produced by a line of the Fire Lord's guards illuminated their faces.

 _What would Azula say right now?_ Zuko thought. It was ironic to imitate her, given she was behind all this, but he needed information. "How _dare_ you kidnap my sister!" he yelled at the men before him. "You have all invoked your Fire Lord's wrath, and if you want to live through the next hour you will give me some _useful_ information on the whereabouts of the missing children!"

Beside him on the ship's deck, Suki's eyes widened, but she said nothing. She must have caught his bluff; hopefully it wasn't obvious to the men before him.

"P-please, Fire Lord!" one of the kneeling prisoners begged. "We don't know where they are—we were only ordered to take the girl."

"By who?! Where is your leader?!" Zuko demanded.

The group remained silent. Flames burst from Zuko's fists. "ANSWER ME!" he roared.

"We can't," another one answered, glaring at the Fire Lord coldly. "We've all made a blood oath not to expose one another. So we're as good as dead either way."

"Look," Zuko countered, trying to keep a level head. "We promise to offer you the best protection if you just cooperate—"

"Every man here will choose to die for Ozai. You can't offer us anything!" The man spat at his feet.

Zuko swore and breathed rapidly, flames escaping his nostrils with each breath. At that moment Suki turned to face him. "May I have a word, Fire Lord?" she asked, bowing in a respectful Fire Nation posture. Embarrassed by his display, he nodded quickly and rested a hand on her shoulder as they turned their backs to the prisoners.

"Zuko," she whispered, "I sense that some of them may talk if we can interrogate them alone. I suggest we start with those two in the back—" she glanced back at two younger boys, no older than sixteen, who'd been shaking nonstop since the boat arrived in the harbor.

"Yes, yes you're probably right."

"Give me twenty minutes with them," she said, eyes narrowing as she glanced back at the prisoners. "And maybe you and Aang can try to find out what happened to the people aboard the Water Tribe ship in the meantime. They shouldn't have as much reason to hide that information."

He nodded, and they turned back around. "Ty Lee and Jaya," Suki directed sternly, "Grab those two and follow me." The warriors picked up the two trembling teens and dragged them below deck. Zuko almost felt nervous for them.

He glanced over at Aang. He'd just gotten back after searching the wreck and surrounding area for several hours, only to come up empty-handed. His fists were clenched and his face set in a snarl; he looked ready to burst.

Zuko looked back at the traitors before him. He addressed a middle-aged man on the end of the front row. "Let's try this again. You were found with the remains of a stolen Water Tribe vessel. What happened to its passengers?"

Before the man could speak, however, Aang had grabbed his collar and was holding him up at eye level, his eyes and arrows flashing dangerously. "WHERE ARE THEY?!" he said, his voice ragged.

 _And they say I have a temper,_ Zuko thought dryly.

The color had long since drained from the man's face when he spoke. "They're, well, we," he gulped and grimaced. "We were ordered to leave no witnesses, Avatar. I'm sorr—aaaAAAH!" he yelled as Aang's eyes glowed bright blue and the air around them began to swirl violently.

Zuko swore again as he tried to approach his friend. "Aang! Chill out, man! I'm sure that they're—"

Suddenly, a tawny-brown hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed Aang's arm. The winds calmed and Aang let the prisoner down, turning to face the newcomer. She cupped his face in her hands as the glow faded from his eyes.

"Katara," Aang said. "How…where…I…" he squeezed his eyes shut as they embraced.

"Ooooogie! Am I right?" Zuko jumped a foot in the air as someone slapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Agni, Sokka!" Zuko yelled, holding a hand to his chest to calm down. "Wow, are we glad to see you! We thought…well, we're glad you're okay. But how in the world are you here?"

"You thought these jerkbenders could snuff us out? Pssshh!" Sokka replied smugly as the two grasped forearms. Sokka then rehearsed an elaborate tale of how their ship had been ambushed overnight and how he had taken out over twenty of the attackers all on his own—

"On you own, huh?" Katara interrupted.

"Well, Katara helped," Sokka admitted. She rolled her eyes. " _Anyway_ then there were, like, over fifty more of the buggers who came out of nowhere and they had us surrounded, so we were forced to—" He stopped as the Kyoshi warriors emerged with the two prisoners. Suki made to approach Zuko but stopped suddenly as she caught sight of Sokka. She looked embarrassed. Zuko looked back at Sokka. He was pointedly avoiding eye contact. _What? Did they—no, no way,_ Zuko thought.

"Fire Lord," Suki said stiffly. "I have the information."

Aware of their audience, Zuko commanded his troops to take the captured Society members to the prison tower. Suki asked Jaya and Ty Lee to go on ahead of them to relieve the other warriors from their shift back at the palace. She remained by the cabin door instead of coming over to him, so Zuko left Sokka and walked across the deck to her side.

"Um…are you okay?" he asked her quietly.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine. I'm still feeling a little drained from last night, that's all."

He held up a palm full of fire and noted the tired look in her eyes. "Suki, I'm sorry, you shouldn't have come, I didn't even think—" He made to put a hand on her shoulder, but drew it back awkwardly as he remembered Sokka's presence behind them.

"Don't worry about it. It's just…the information we found out. You're not going to like it."

Zuko frowned, but by now the others had joined them. "Katara, Sokka, we're so glad you're okay," Zuko said while Katara gave Suki a hug. "We'd love to finish catching up, but…a lot…a _lot_ is going on and I—"

"Say no more, good buddy. We need to find ourselves a new ride to the South Pole anyway. We're way behind schedule!" Sokka exclaimed, whipping out their itinerary.

"And our dad is expecting us…" Katara added anxiously.

Zuko nodded, but then Suki interrupted them. "Wait. Katara, we actually need your help. Ursa has been unconscious since late last night, and the Fire Nation healers don't know what's wrong. Could you please take a look at her?" she pleaded. Zuko bit his lip and looked at his feet as the anxiety for his mother resurfaced.

"Oh my gosh, yes of course! I didn't realize…I'm so sorry, Zuko," she said sincerely.

Zuko felt a small fleck of hope as he bowed his head. "Th-thank you, Katara." They all started heading towards Appa when he turned back to Suki. "And thanks, um, for thinking about that," he said lamely.

She smiled. "No problem."

The firelight from his palm was making her green eyes shimmer like— _what? Why am I thinking about that?_ he thought abruptly. He shook his head quickly to clear it. "So, umm, what did you find out from those Society prisoners?"

Suki sighed. "Zuko...their leader. It's Ukano."

" _I kind of remember a big mean man with yellow eyes. He grabbed my neck so tight I couldn't breathe."_

Zuko felt angry beads of sweat forming on his brow. He turned back to Aang, who was waiting for them up on Appa's head. "Aang, could you take Katara to my mother? We'll meet you guys back at the palace."

Aang nodded but before he could respond, Sokka leaned over the side of the saddle and tossed a small bag down to Suki. "Found these on our way here." She opened the wet bag and pulled out her fans, mouth open in shock as she stared at them. "Like, in the _middle of the ocean._ I won't even ask," he said, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "But I figured you can't really call yourself a Kyoshi Warrior without them."

A sad sort of smile crossed Suki's face as the bison leapt off the deck and into the night sky.

 _Oh Agni…they did,_ Zuko realized.

"So…Ukano...Mai's father, Ukano?" he reiterated, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Suki shook herself from her daze and turned back to face him, nodding. "I mean, the guy clearly doesn't like me…" Zuko continued. "But his own son was taken! It doesn't add up."

"Unless he's using Tom-Tom as the perfect cover," Suki reasoned.

Zuko nodded slowly. "True. But…you're sure it's him? What if they were lying?" he asked her.

"We interrogated them separately, and they both gave us his name," she explained. "One of the boys was homeless and the other an orphan working day jobs when Ukano recruited them. They didn't seem as devoted to the Society's cause as some of the older men, and seemed to regret helping with a kidnapping."

"Well, they still could have all agreed beforehand to feed us Ukano's name," Zuko replied.

Suki cocked her head at him. "Zuko," she said firmly. "I know there's still a lot of uncertainty, but this is our _only_ lead. I really feel we should find Ukano and bring him in for questioning."

"I know…I know. And I agree. It's just…yesterday, I actually asked Mai if Ukano was part of the New Ozai Society." Suki looked surprised. "I thought I recognized his voice when he came to the palace," he explained. "But she denied it."

"She may just not have known."

He held his chin for several moments. "No," he said darkly as realization dawned on him. "No. She knew. I've never seen her act so guilty. I just ignored it because I've been blinded by…" _how much I've been missing her,_ he thought, feeling ashamed.

Suki looked concerned. "Maybe…well, maybe she had a good reason for keeping it from you—"

"No!" he shouted. "You know what, _I_ had plenty of good reasons for not telling her about visiting my dad in prison, or the conflict in Yu Dao, and especially back when I left the Fire Nation to help Aang!" He began pacing the deck, his fire going out as his arms became animated. "All those times I was under enormous pressure, and I was just trying to do the right thing…but none of my reasons could make up for…" _breaking her heart,_ Zuko thought bitterly. Making another fire, he looked back at Suki, her eyes round and sad. "Suki," he said, shoulders hunching as he put a hand to his forehead. "Suki, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…I promise, I'm not upset with you."

"I know. It's okay."

"No, it's not—"

"It really is, Zuko. You've been dealing with a _lot_. I'm always here if you need to talk."

"Thanks," he said, still feeling embarrassed.

They locked eyes for a long moment before she turned away. "We'd better head back. I don't like how exposed you are up here."

Zuko followed her down the ship's ramp as they met up with the troop assigned to escort him home. He opened the carriage door but paused. "Suki, you should've been relieved hours ago. These guys can handle the trip back if you want to ride in here."

"Oh, that's not necessary, Fire Lord," Suki said, glancing at the surrounding guard. "I feel fine," she continued, stifling a yawn.

"Come on, Suki, it won't kill you to take a break!" one of the guardsmen called out. Blushing, she took Zuko's outstretched hand and climbed into the carriage, sitting across from him.

"Thanks," she said quietly as the carriage began to move up the pier.

He smiled. "If you want to sleep, there's some blankets in here somewhere…" He knelt on the floor and lifted up his seat, digging around for a minute before tugging out a red quilt. "Here you—" He stopped when he noticed Suki leaning against the window, fast asleep. He carefully laid the blanket over her and moved to the opposite side of the bench, trying to understand the sudden warmth in his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

"You're right, Master Osamu. Her body is functioning normally," Katara said as she returned the glowing water to her pouch.

"Then…you don't have any idea what's wrong?" Noren asked miserably, gripping Ursa's hand.

Katara snapped her pouch shut. "Actually, I do. I believe she's in the Spirit World."

Noren's mouth fell open. "The…Spirit World? I thought only the Avatar could go there."

"Most people do," the head healer, Osamu, replied. "But General Iroh insists he's visited the place himself."

Katara nodded her head. "I'm not sure how or why she would be there, though," she confessed.

"Well, I've got a 'bridge between the worlds' right here if you want to borrow him," Sokka teased, grabbing Aang by the shoulders and shoving him forward.

Aang shrugged out of his grip and bowed to Noren. "I'd be more than happy to search for Ursa in the Spirit World," he said respectfully.

"Thank you, Avatar Aang. And Master Katara," Noren said sincerely, thought he still felt despondent.

Aang sat cross-legged on the floor next to the bed and began to meditate. "Wait," Noren said suddenly. "It could be…it may help to ask the Mother of Faces, if you can. Ursa has had that spirit's power worked upon her twice now…I feel this must be related to it."

Aang nodded, then closed his eyes again. Within minutes, they glowed.

* * *

When Ursa awoke, she found herself in darkness. She stood and reached out to orient herself. Her hands met a rough, earthen wall. Trailing her fingertips along the surface, she realized she was trapped in some kind of cave.

She felt her way carefully in the darkness. After several hours, caution had turned to desperation as she ran blindly, always finding a barrier and never an escape. She tripped over the rough ground, crying out as she rolled into a shallow ditch. She remained lying there, squeezing her eyes against the blackness, and wept.

"Oh, _my_ , what a pretty face."

Ursa opened her eyes. _Did I fall asleep?_ She thought, noticing how a dim light now illuminated the cave. She heard what sounded like dozens of creeping legs trailing the walls.

"My mother really did quite a nice job on that one," the voice continued.

 _The Mother of Faces…Aang said her son was called Koh,_ Ursa realized. She'd learned enough from the Avatar to know how this particular spirit worked. She quickly wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and climbed out of the ditch, standing firmly.

The monster emerged quickly from the shadows, a ghostly female mask with long grey eyes and bright lips staring at her from inches away. Ursa looked at it blankly.

"Hmm, not even a flinch. So you know who I am," the face said deeply.

Ursa didn't respond. The centipede-like creature blinked, replacing the masked face with a human one with long black hair and golden eyes, much like her own. The young woman's gaze bore into her as the spirit curled around her body. Ursa stiffened, but otherwise didn't react.

"I have quite the taste for your kind of look," Koh said sickly, the face's tongue licking its lips before running along Ursa's jaw. She forced her revulsion back into her gut, her gaze remaining passive and unfocused on the jagged cave wall.

He blinked again suddenly, the face of a pale girl screaming in her ear. Ursa simply closed her eyes. The scream deepened as Koh slithered away into the darkness. A moment later he emerged slowly, a stunning Southern Water Tribe woman's face on his head. "I already have more beautiful faces than yours, anyway," he mocked, though his voice dripped with irritation.

Ursa turned towards the suddenly growing light behind her. As she walked away, she replied, "Don't feel bad, Koh. I just know someone more frightening that you."

* * *

Mai stepped through the hole in the floor of the wagon—the one Kei Lo had made by prying floorboards away with one of her knives during the bumpy trip up the mountain path. Crouching in the shadows, they waited for their chance to duck away unseen into an alleyway.

They moved silently in the backstreets, keeping to the shadows. Mai soon took the lead, winding her way through the familiar city, moving unconsciously towards the last place she wanted to be.

An hour later, they were close enough to spot the palace walls. She guided them slowly towards an enormous house close to the palace entrance. They climbed the fence carefully and ducked behind the bushes along the wall.

Kei Lo came up next to her and leaned in close. "Do you know who lives here? What if we're caught?" he whispered.

"I think my dad will go easy on us," she said dully. Kei Lo's eyes widened as he took in the mansion before them.

She watched the house for about ten minutes, but there was no movement. _I should have seen the servants moving around at least. Looks abandoned,_ she reasoned, feeling curious. She grabbed Kei Lo's hand and led them around to the servant's entrance. The door was locked, but she pulled out one of her stilettos and handed it to him. He had the lock picked in seconds. Instead of handing it back to her, however, he took her wrist gently and fastened the small dagger back himself. His fingertips brushed her wrist lightly; his breath was warm against her neck.

She was grateful the darkness was hiding her blush.

Inside, they moved through the dark rooms cautiously towards her father's study. Once they reached it, she fumbled around for a minute before managing to light a candle. She turned to Kei Lo. "Hold this. I'm going to take a look around." She starting scanning over the documents laid out on the desk.

"Hey babe, um, why are we here?" Kei Lo asked tentatively.

Mai stopped what she was doing and sighed. "Well… _if_ you're right about my father _possibly_ being involved in all this…" She bit her lip and looked away. "Then it couldn't hurt to just…check."

When she looked back up at him, Kei Lo was smiling at her, like he'd been planning this all along. _Stop being cute,_ she thought half-irritably as she turned around to dig through the filing cabinet. He walked around the desk and brought the candle up beside her, meeting her eyes. It was like déjà vu from the night before—when Zuko had been holding the light for her. _Ugh, why did I have to think about that!_ she thought, scowling.

"What's wrong?" Kei Lo asked as his face fell.

She shook her head. "It's nothing, just worried about…Tom-Tom." And suddenly, she really was.

Kei Lo touched her jaw and kissed her gently. "We'll find him, Mai." She felt a new, pleasant wave of affection begin to sweep over her. _No! I can't get too attached. I can't let myself get hurt again,_ she thought desperately. But when he kissed her again, she didn't turn away.

* * *

Suki jolted awake to a distant _crack_. She gasped, trying to remember where she was. She looked down at the blanket that had fallen off her lap, then back up when Zuko grabbed her arm.

"We're still on the way back," he whispered before leaning over her to look out the window. "That sound…it was almost like—"

 _CRAAACK!_ They pressed their faces against the window and saw several small slivers of lightning ricocheting against the night sky. Zuko swore quietly, his breath hot against her cheek.

"It's Azula. I won't let her get away this time," he said, stone-faced as he reached for the door. Just as he grasped the handle, Suki saw a bright flash from behind them. She managed to pull Zuko to the floor a split-second before lightning broke through the windows above them. They flinched as shards of glass pelted down on them from all directions.

"Suki! Are you alright!?" Their faces inches apart, she saw several small flecks of blood beginning to pool against his skin. "Your cheek is—"

"I'm fine!" she exhaled, wiping the blood dripping from her face with the back of her hand. "We need to get you out of here!"

He glanced up at the windows. "But…how did she get behind—" Suki couldn't hear him anymore over the sudden shouts from the guards outside and another high-pitched clap of thunder.

"Come _on!_ " she yelled, grabbing her shield with one hand and his elbow with the other, pulling him out the door opposite the commotion.

Outside, she could just make out the waterline down to their right. Industrial buildings and smoke stacks towered before them. _We're still in Harbor City,_ she noted before realizing, suddenly, that everything had gone silent. Stealing a glance around the carriage, she saw several of the guards and komodo rhinos lying on the ground, small sparks of lightning radiating away from their bodies. _No…_ she thought. _How did she...are they all…_ She swallowed hard against the burning in her throat.

"Zuko, we need to—" she whispered, but stopped after turning around and seeing him, one fist thrust forward and the other back beside his face in a defensive stance. Two Kemurikage approached them from the shadows. She raised her shield beside him and pulled out one of her fans.

The hooded figures stopped several paces away and stood absolutely still, the only movement coming from their ragged cloaks swirling across the ground with the breeze.

"Azula! Show yourself!" Zuko demanded.

They didn't respond.

"Where are the kids you've been taking?!"

Silence.

"ANSWER ME!" he yelled as he shot fire from both fists simultaneously. The bright glow of the flames was quickly engulfed in a thick blanket of white smoke that billowed upwards and crept quickly towards them.

At that moment, Suki heard a panicked roar come from one of the komodo rhinos pulling the carriage. She turned and saw both his companion and their two riders lying on the ground. The animal was frantically trying to escape his bindings. An idea formed in her mind just as everything was encompassed in smoke.

Within moments, the thick mist was stinging her eyes and making her wheeze. _Not this again!_ she thought furiously as she began to cough. The beast beside her was grunting loudly and shaking the carriage like mad. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her armor and she turned sharply before two hands grasped her upper arms.

"It's me," Zuko choked out before going into a coughing fit himself. She grabbed his wrist and guided him over beside the thrashing beast. Up close, she could see the blurry outlines of the rhino as she attempted to mount. She finally got a foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up, throwing her arm back down for Zuko. His arm shot out of the mist and she hoisted him up.

Once Zuko was settled behind her, she pulled out her sword and cut the animal's harness on each side. Zuko managed to reach around her and grab the front of the saddle just as their ride bolted forward. Still coughing violently, she tried desperately to feel for the reins. As the smoke began to clear and she could open her eyes fully, she grabbed them and brought the rhino under some control. She guided the sprinting animal up the slope towards the winding path leading to Caldera City.

Suddenly, she felt the strong warmth of a fire blast behind her. She looked back; Zuko was bending a thick blaze into the dark street behind them.

"They're right behind us! How are they keeping up?!" he exclaimed as the flames dissolved into blackness.

Suki turned back around and was about to give the rhino another kick when a bolt of lightning struck the ground just ahead of them. The beast roared out in fear and reared up on its hindquarters. She gasped as she felt herself fall back hard against Zuko's chest. His free arm curled tightly over her waist as he managed to keep his grip on the saddle with the other, grunting against the strain.

Once the rhino dropped back heavily on its front legs, they found themselves surrounded by three of the hooded kidnappers. All at once, the assailants bent their knees as fire burst from their outstretched hands, forming a wall of flames around them. _Well, they can't keep that up and fight us at the same time,_ Suki thought to herself as she quickly jumped out of her seat and ran at their nearest attacker. Just as she drew out her fan to strike, her opponent's arms flew forward, shooting streams of fire at her face. She blocked the attack with her shield, sweating as the flames licked over the edges. In her peripheral, she could see that Zuko had followed suit as he batted away flames from the two remaining fighters with careful form.

As the fire coming at her died down, Suki took the chance to move into closer range. She jabbed at the assaulter's side, knees, neck, anything she could reach, but the masked woman always managed to block her. Behind her, Suki heard the static buildup of a lightning strike. She finally landed a hard blow to her foe's stomach, allowing her to turn back and see Zuko absorbing the bolt from one of his attackers. His body was glowing blue, his hair flying out of the headpiece and robes flapping madly.

She heard another _craaack_ and turned to see lightning forming around Zuko's second attacker. _What?!_ she thought frantically. _Can they both bend—_ but she froze as the assailant's arms were coming together, two fingers of each hand directed at Zuko, who was still working to redirect the first attack.

"NO!" Suki shouted, throwing all her strength into propelling her disk-shaped shield through the air at the enemy's head. Just as the shield left her hand, she felt a horrible, searing pain hit her left shoulder. Crying out, she fell to her knees.

Everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

As Kei Lo was putting away the files Mai had gone through, a half sheet of paper slipped to the floor. He picked it up—it was a ticket from one of the factories near the harbor. "What about this?" he asked her.

She looked it over. "Well, I guess we know who's been supplying the New Ozai Society with their weapons…"

"Sorry. I guess that's not very helpful," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You never know," Mai said honestly. She tucked it up her sleeve and went back to perusing the papers she had spread out on the desk. After several more minutes, she groaned. "There's nothing here!"

"Mai," came a familiar voice from doorway. "I said I'd tell you the _truth_ if you just asked."

Kei Lo froze, gut wrenching in rage. "Ukano," he said darkly, turning around. Mai's arms were crossed, her eyes glaring icily across the room at the dark figure in the shadows.

"Not sure why you're upset to see me," he said arrogantly, moving towards them. "This is _my_ house, after all."

"Yeah, and I'm just here for a _visit,_ " Mai said sourly.

"And you're more than welcome," Ukano replied before frowning at Kei Lo. "But _he_ isn't. I won't say a word unless he leaves."

"No way!" Mai spat, abandoning her composure. "Whatever you have to say you can say it to—"

"Wait, Mai," Kei Lo interjected. He faced her, placing a hand on her arm before whispering in her ear, "He might tell you more if I leave. And it's not like you need me here to protect you," he smirked. Straightening, he said audibly, "I'll wait for you out back," before making his way around Ukano and out into the hall.

Despite the confidence he'd exuded, Kei Lo grew anxious as he made his way towards the back of the house. He knew Mai could protect herself _physically,_ but he also knew Ukano to be a manipulative genius. Kei Lo had been one of a number homeless orphans who had joined the New Ozai Society, persuaded by Ukano with promises of finding belonging and purpose in their lives. And Mai had revealed a little about the kind of parenting she'd received growing up—it made him sick to think how much effort it had taken her just to feel comfortable _smiling_ again.

 _Maybe I shouldn't have left her alone with him,_ he thought as he shut the back door. He stopped after walking a few steps into the garden, grinding his teeth as he considered what to do.

"Ow!" he said under his breath as he felt a sharp prick on his arm. Sliding his hand over his triceps, he felt a small metal needle sticking out of the muscle. _What…_ he thought as the garden began to swirl around him. _No…Mai…_

* * *

It all happened so fast.

Zuko saw a flare of gold from the corner of his eye as the final sparks of lightning left his fingertips. His first attacker cried out, rolling away into the shadows. What looked like Suki's shield connected with the head of the second, knocking the hooded figure off her feet and sending another bolt of lightning away into the air above them.

Before he could fully register what had happened, a familiar voice cried out in pain behind him. Turning around, Zuko saw the third assailant lying on her side several paces away, one arm hugging her waist. The other was held out straight, smoke escaping two extended fingers. Following where they pointed, he saw Suki falling slowly from her knees to the pavement. Bits of bright static escaped her back.

"SUKI!" he cried out, running towards her. Another weak bolt of lightning hit the ground at his feet. He turned and thrust both fists towards his foe, bathing the cobblestone in orange light. The figure rolled clumsily away behind some of the industrial machinery crowding the street.

Zuko scanned behind him, but the others didn't approach. He ran over to Suki's prone form, skidding to his knees by her side. The fabric over her left shoulder and neck was burned away, but it was too dark to see the damage. He gingerly turned her over into his lap, careful not to touch the injury, and placed two fingers against her neck. Feeling the gentle throb of her pulse, he leaned over so the unscarred side of his face hovered above her mouth. He felt a faint, warm breath against his cheek. _You're alive…you're alive,_ he thought, his hand over his racing heart.

Just then, he heard movement behind him. _They…they can ALL bend lightning!_ Zuko registered, panicking. _We've got to get out of here!_ The komodo rhino was long gone—the stupid brute had bolted during the fight. Zuko scooped up the Kyoshi Warrior, resting her head against his shoulder, and dashed to the nearest alleyway. He knew he couldn't outrun them like this, so he'd have to find somewhere to hide.

Luckily, he'd visited this part of town once before.

As he ran further from the main road, the side streets gradually gave way to a chaotic layout of factory buildings, tanks, and rail lines. Zuko stepped carefully across several sets of tracks and weaved between metal pipes jutting across his path as he made his way deeper into the city.

Within an hour, he felt movement against his shoulder. He glanced down. Suki's eyes were half open, her lips parted and her breath shallow.

"Suki," he breathed heavily, relieved she was awake.

She looked pained. "I'm slowing you down…" she said faintly.

"No, no it's fine," he panted.

"You should've left me…I can't protect you like this," she said, wincing.

"Suki, I wouldn't just—" but he stopped as he heard voices from an adjacent street. He ducked quickly around a corner and behind several large exhaust pipes extending out of the ground. He squeezed them into a dark, narrow opening between the pipes and waited, squatting as he leaned against the metal plating to catch his breath.

Footsteps echoed off the street he'd just been on. "So, who's the kid?" a rough voice said.

"Master pandered him off on me," a younger man responded. "Says to have Akane watch the little guy until things are settled."

"Won't she be curious? You didn't tell her about the Society, did you?" _The New Ozai Society!_ Zuko thought, his heart leaping.

"No way man, of course I didn't," the other man continued. "I'll just tell her it's a coworker's kid, and that his wife is too sick to take care of him for a while. My wife's a sucker for that kind of thing—won't take much to convince her," he explained, his tone patronizing. Zuko heard the older man guffaw as the voices faded away.

 _So these are the kinds of chumps in the Society,_ Zuko thought absently, his nose wrinkling in disgust. _At least now I know they're keeping the abducted kids in the capitol, with the Society's families. At least they're safe…for now. But how will we locate them? And what were those two doing down here anyway?_

His mind continued racing with questions as he debated going after them. He looked down at Suki; she was gripping his shirt, eyes squeezed shut in obvious pain. He stood up and crept through the piping in the opposite direction that the men had gone.

Several minutes later, Suki grabbed his arm. "Zuko, wait, I think I can walk now," she said quietly.

"What? Are you crazy? You just got struck by—"

"I feel a little better now. I don't think it was that bad," she interrupted. "Just let me try. You can't expect to carry me all the way back to the palace."

Sighing, he let her feet down to the ground. His arms and legs trembled as the tension was released from the past hour of carrying her. She moved forward but stumbled to the right, catching herself against a wall. "What…why can't I…" She tried again but fell sideways. Zuko ran forward to catch her before she hit the ground.

She breathed heavily, holding her head between her hands. "I feel so dizzy…I guess I can't walk after all," she admitted, sighing. "Zuko, look, _please_ just let me hide out here so you can make it back. The sooner you get back the sooner you can—"

"No, I can't to do that. Come on," he said, hauling Suki up on her feet and wrapping an arm carefully around her shoulders. She blew the hair out of her face in frustration, but didn't argue further. She held onto his waist as he guided them around another corner and between several rows of wooden crates.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"How do you know your way around this place so well? You never visit Harbor City."

"Umm…" He felt some of the blood leave his face. "Well…I knew someone from here a few years ago."

"Really? Who was it?" she asked innocently.

"Uh, well, technically it was…" he gulped, "um, someone I might have hired to, you know…" She raised her eyebrows at him. He stared away from her, eyes glued to the ground. "…to kill the Avatar," he admitted, grimacing.

"Oh! Combustion Man?!" Suki replied brightly.

Zuko looked back at her, dumbfounded by her reaction. "Uh that wasn't his—I mean yeah, him."

"Ha ha! Wow, this place is sketchy. You must have been desperate."

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I didn't realize you knew about him."

"Well, Sokka—" she stopped abruptly, flushing. "I mean, yeah, I heard about him. Sounds like he was a real pain. Too bad I wasn't there to deal with him," she teased.

Zuko remembered Suki running atop prisoners' heads, scaling a vertical metal wall, and beating aside full grown men like flies to capture the warden at the Boiling Rock. In all reality, he didn't think that assassin would have given her much trouble at all.

They reached a metal door against a towering facility, where Zuko stopped. He let Suki lean against the wall while he kicked the door handle several times.

"Won't someone hear you?!" she whispered loudly, looking behind them.

"I don't think so. No one should be working this late, and we're a good distance from any residential areas," Zuko replied. He gave the door another couple of kicks and it swung open.

They made their way inside and found themselves surrounded by towering shelves of crates and stacks of odd machinery. Zuko held out a small fire with his free hand as they moved slowly through the aisles. They soon approached a balcony overlooking several huge tanks that sunk into the floor below them. He felt Suki's legs trembling beneath her, and saw beads of sweat forming along her brow. Glancing around, he spotted a small door across the balcony with what looked like a medical insignia on it. After leading them around the railing, Zuko pushed open the door to reveal a small healer's station.

He helped Suki sit on the cot in one corner of the tiny room before quickly lighting the lantern hanging from the ceiling. Sweating furiously, Zuko tore off his cape and shoulder guard. When he glanced back, he saw Suki leaning sideways against the wall, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Are you feeling worse?" he asked anxiously.

"Just nauseous…all of a sudden," she replied between breaths. "I think…the pain…just came back…" He could tell she was holding back tears.

"Um, can I look at it?" he asked. She nodded and straightened slowly, pulling off her gloves and trying to untie her armor with trembling fingers. Zuko reached out to help, pulling the breastplate over her head and setting it aside. She turned to rest her forehead against the wall so her back faced him. He sat next to her and gently pulled back the loose pieces of her kimono. The cloth wasn't sticking to the injury, so he carefully tore it a couple more inches so the burn could breathe. A strange, branch-like pattern of deep red curled from the bottom of her shoulder blade up around the back of her neck. He felt a phantom pain in the left side of his face as he hovered a hand over the burn, using firebending to redirect the heat away from the skin. Thin wisps of smoke billowed out of the fingers of his opposite hand for several minutes.

"Wow. That feels so much better already," Suki said gratefully.

"Well, I do have _some_ experience dealing with burns," he said good-humoredly before growing serious. "I'm just glad you weren't wearing your headpiece today. The metal would've conducted the lightning as it ran through your body and probably caused a lot more damage."

"Yikes. We might need to make some changes to the uniform."

Zuko found some gauze in a drawer and helped her wrap it loosely around her back and shoulder. "Hey, do you feel any pain in your feet?" he asked after a couple minutes.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, tucking the last bit of gauze into the front of her shirt. "Oh, yeah, actually. My left foot…I think I must have stepped on something. How did you know?"

"It's probably the exit wound," he explained. "The lightning will exit your body through whatever is touching the ground…"

"Oh," she replied. She kicked off her left boot and bent her leg up to take a look. "Ack! You're right." She held it out to him, pouting. A deep gash the size of a small silver piece glared against the sole of her foot.

"You walked on that?!" he exclaimed, grabbing the rest of the gauze from her lap and pulling her foot onto his knee. Grumbling, he wrapped her foot, guilt sweeping over him.

"Hey, umm," he said as he finished.

She pulled her foot back slowly and leaned back against the wall. "Hmm?"

"Thank you," he said quietly, bowing his head. "You saved my life, _at least_ twice, tonight. And Kiyi's last night. And, honestly, probably all of my family's lives several times since you've been here."

Suki smiled tiredly. "Zuko, that's my job. Don't worry about it."

"But you got hurt. You could have…" He bit his lip. "And this isn't even your fight, or your country."

She suddenly looked… _uncomfortable?_ "What is it?" he asked curiously.

Suki chewed on her bottom lip for a long time before answering. "Did Sokka ever tell you about my parents?" she finally asked.

"Sure. I think he mentioned meeting them a while back," Zuko said slowly, puzzled by the question.

"Yeah, he did. But technically, he met my stepdad. They've only been married for a few years now."

"Oh! Well, uh, do you like him?" he asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, he's great. He's really helped my mom out since…" she stopped, rubbing her hands together.

Zuko reached for her hands on impulse, but stopped himself, resting a hand on her arm instead. "Suki…was your dad…killed, in the war? I'm so sorry, I never knew—"

"No, no that's not it, Zuko," she said, sighing. "My mom…she isn't from Kyoshi, originally. She grew up in a small Earth Kingdom village further north. When she my age, her town was pillaged in a Fire Nation raid and she was…" She paused, biting her lip again. "Well, then she had me."

 _Oh…oh, Agni…_ Zuko thought, staring at her wide-eyed. _Her mom was…that horrible war…what our nation did…_ a myriad of thoughts was racing through his mind before he came to a realization. Heart pounding, he asked, "Wait, so you're…"

She nodded. "Half Fire Nation."


	9. Chapter 9

"Okay Father. Spill it. What are you up to?" Mai leaned against his desk, arms still folded, eyes threatening to burn holes in his chest if they could.

"Mai, the Fire Lord is _weak._ He's a _coward._ And he doesn't care for his own people. _You_ know that better than anyone."

She groaned. "This isn't anything I haven't heard from you before. Just tell me where Tom-Tom is." Her nails dug into the desk, carving out wooden shavings that fell lightly to the floor.

"Why would I know anything about—"

"You know. I can tell," she said, barely keeping a lid on the anger boiling up in her throat.

Her father sighed. "Look. Tom-Tom is _safe,_ Mai. You don't have to worry about—"

"You _are_ involved!" she yelled at him. _Kei Lo was right,_ she realized, suddenly wishing he was beside her. " _You're_ responsible for all those kids going missing? _Why?_ Why would you do that?"

"Mai, they're _all_ safe. Sometimes you have to take extreme measures to get —"

"No! Stop making excuses!" She felt her agitation building as the words spilled out too quickly, laced with buried emotion. "This is insane, Father. Insane, and wrong. Can't you see the irony?" she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Tom-Tom, your own son, was kidnapped in Omashu. You and mom were torn _apart_ in grief until we had him back," _and so was I,_ Mai remembered, _though Azula wouldn't let me show it._ "How could you do that to other families, _innocent_ Fire Nation families?" She turned her back to him, disgusted.

He was silent for several moments before he spoke, his attempts to appease her replaced with the authoritative tone so reminiscent of her youth. "Did we teach you _nothing?_ " he spat, grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around, holding her roughly against the desk. She wasn't afraid of him now, but memories of a time she was much smaller and much less lethal caused her to quake in his grip. "How _dare_ you think you have _any_ right to speak to me this way? I don't know what's happened to you, but it ends _now._ "

She shoved him away. "You can't threaten me, Father. Not anymore." She pulled out a knife in each hand and held them to his throat. "Tell me where Tom-Tom is. _Now._ "

He glared at her, his nostrils curling up in disgust. But then a sinister smile graced his lips. "You wouldn't hurt me, Mai. I know you well enough to know _that._ "

She pushed the blades into his skin, drips of blood falling down his neck. Her eyes were filling with tears, but she didn't waiver.

His eyes grew wide, but he sneered at her as he spoke. "If you want to see your dirty peasant lover again, you'll stop this _now._ "

Mai's eyes widened. "Kei…Kei Lo? What are you—what have you done with him?!" She pulled the knives away and raced out the door and through the extravagant hallways. "Kei Lo! Kei Lo! Where are you?!" She ran out into the yard. "Kei Lo!" she called out desperately, heart pounding like mad.

Five men emerged from the bushes, the largest one holding a young man's limp body by the neck, a knife pressed against his jugular.

"Make one move, and he's dead."

Mai cursed under her breath, the tears finally leaking from her eyes as she willed her trembling hands to stay still. She felt a sharp sting in her chest. Racked with regret, she blacked out before her knees hit the soft earth.

* * *

"When did you move to Kyoshi?" Zuko asked softly. After her revelation, Suki hadn't been able to pinpoint his expression. It seemed to bounce between wonder and guilt and something else she couldn't discern.

"When I was three," she answered. "I don't remember much, but I guess the people in my mom's village gave me a hard time, thought I was a bad reminder of what the Fire Nation had done to them. Told her she shouldn't have to keep me." Zuko's mouth dropped open, but he didn't interrupt. "So my mom took me and left…we moved between towns for a while before she heard about Kyoshi. She liked the idea of neutral territory, and a fresh start."

Zuko dropped his head in one hand, his other still on her arm. "What you must have thought when my men invaded your village. Your mother must have been terrified…I'm so—"

"Zuko, don't. That's not why I brought this up."

He lifted his face and looked at her, grimacing. She continued, looking absently across the room, "My mom told me I was lucky to have her green eyes—and the fact that there's enough variety in Earth Kingdom people that you couldn't tell I was of mixed blood. When she told the people in Kyoshi she was a war widow, no one ever suspected a thing. But I knew… My whole life, deep down, I felt ashamed. Like everyone else, I thought all people from the Fire Nation were terrible, and I _knew_ my father was terrible…so I assumed part of me was too."

Zuko nodded his head in understanding, absently rubbing his thumb back and forth across her arm. He looked lost in an unpleasant memory.

"But after you joined the Avatar, it was the first time I saw _good_ in someone from the Fire Nation. You were my first friend from here, Zuko. And I think I finally started to accept the part of myself I'd been trying to forget…so, in a way, I owe you that."

"Suki, you don't owe me anything!" he said, though his cheeks were flushed. "Is that why you're here? If anything, I owe you—"

"No, that's not why I'm here. I've just—since the war ended, I couldn't think of anything more important to do than prevent it from happening again," she said with confidence. "If anything happened to you, Zuko, the Fire Nation could easily fall into whatever faction grabs it up and we could be right back where we started—what happened to my mom, to so many others, could happen all over again. You've done so much to put this country on the right path—I just can't let anything stop you from what you're doing. _That's_ why I'm here."

She suddenly felt that wasn't the only reason.

Zuko looked at her in amazement before smiling warmly. There wasn't really anything he could say, she supposed. Suddenly feeling embarrassed for her monologue, she rubbed her temples. "Geez, sorry for the melodrama," she said casually. "Guess I had a Katara moment."

Zuko laughed out loud.

"Oh my gosh, you can _laugh_?!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

"Of course I can laugh!" he retorted, trying and failing to look annoyed as she cried tears of amusement. He turned serious again. "I still have one question, though," he continued. "Why didn't you ever say anything about your family before?"

Suki sobered immediately. "Well…I'm still sort of recovering from the first time I told someone," she admitted.

"What? _Who?!"_ he said, his expression murderous.

She dropped her face in her hands. "Sokka," she mumbled between her fingers.

They sat in silence for several moments before he swore. "Oh, spirits. Is that why you two broke up?"

"How'd you know we'd broken up?!"

"Umm," he said, raising his eyebrow. "It was pretty obvious tonight."

"Oh. I guess it was."

Zuko's expression darkened. "I can't believe he broke up with you over that. I thought he was better than—"

"I broke up with him," she interrupted, grimacing.

"Wait… _What?_ "

She sighed heavily. "I told Sokka the truth a few months ago. I should've told him sooner, but...anyway, he was actually really sweet about it," she said, smiling sadly. "He promised me he didn't care, that it didn't change anything. But I knew it was bothering him because—"

"Why would that bother him? How is he the victim here?!" Zuko asked, exasperated.

"Zuko, think about it. His mom was _murdered_ by someone from the Fire Nation. Sokka's a good enough guy that he can let go of that hate enough to make friends from here. But to…" she reddened. "…to possibly…someday… _marry_ someone with Fire Nation blood, to have kids who could turn out to be firebenders, however slim the chance? I _can_ understand why he would feel uncomfortable with it."

Zuko grumbled something incoherent, looking away.

"Anyway…I finally confronted him about it after you all got back from Hira'a. I was right—it was still bothering him, but he said it didn't matter, that we could still be together…that he still loved me…" She felt her eyes growing moist. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her cheek against them, turning away from him. "I couldn't do it, Zuko. I couldn't stay with someone who felt disgusted by part of who I am…even if he loved most of me."

 _Why am I crying?_ Suki thought irritably as a couple tears fell onto her kimono. _I must really need sleep. I'm being so—_ Her thoughts were interrupted as a rough, warm hand slid down her arm to gently cover her fingers.

"Sokka's an _idiot,_ " Zuko said quietly, his fingers tightening. She wiped her eyes with her other hand and turned back to look at him. He stared at her, his warm, golden eyes quivering in the lantern's glow. Suki felt her cheeks grow warm as she realized how close they were. He lifted his other hand, fingers reaching towards her face. Her breath caught.

"You…your cheek," he breathed hotly, his fingertips barely skimming her cheekbone. "It's cut. From the glass."

Suki released the breath she'd been holding. "Oh."

His fingers curled back suddenly and he looked away. He stood abruptly and fished through a couple drawers before pulling out some clean cloth, which he wetted from the faucet by the door. He handed it to her without making eye contact. Suki wiped off the drying blood along with the rest of her face paint, mentally trying to command the blush away from her cheeks. _What just happened?_ she thought anxiously. _Why do I feel—_

"You should get some sleep," he said, staring at the floor. He was sitting on a small stool across from her, leaning his back against the side of the cabinet. "We'll need to get out of here before they open in the morning."

She nodded to herself, biting her lip. "Where will you sleep?" she asked, suddenly shy. "Sorry, you can have the cot—"

"Suki, I'm not a _barbarian,_ " he cut in, the corner of his mouth turning up at her before he glanced back down at his feet. "You go ahead and sleep there," he continued softly, arms crossed as he rubbed his bicep nervously. "I'll keep watch for a while. I need to, um, work out a plan for the morning, anyway."

"Oh, okay. Thanks," she said. Hesitating, she continued slowly, "and thank you, for…listening…and for not leaving me behind tonight." He turned towards her, finally meeting her eyes. "Even though I would have been _fine_ ," she continued, smirking. He shook his head, grinning to himself as his gaze shifted back to the ground.

With a gentle slash of his hand, Zuko made the lantern dim to a tiny glow. Suki gingerly lowered herself stomach-down on the cot and closed her eyes. A phantom touch brushed against her fingers, her cheek…she bit her lip hard, trying not to overthink it, trying to make sense of the flood of emotions that was wracking her mind. Emerging from the fluttering in her stomach, however, was a long-absent sense of peace. After weeks of keeping her breakup a secret, it was finally off her chest. And after _years_ of hiding her lineage—there was finally someone who knew and wasn't repelled by her because of it. _Quite the opposite,_ she realized, flushing, before shutting down that line of thought. _No, the only reason Zuko's more understanding is because he's Fire Nation,_ she thought, her unease returning. _Of course he wouldn't care if I was too. He'd have the same reaction as Sokka if he were in his shoes._

Although, as sleep overcame her, she couldn't help but wonder if that were true.


	10. Chapter 10

Ty Lee sighed as the last Society member was locked away in the imperial prison. "Phew! Glad that's done."

"Me too," Jaya replied. "Come on, let's head back and relieve our sisters for the night."

Ty Lee nodded, and they moved quickly down the dark corridors. _This place is so dreary!_ she thought as they moved past ominous shadows painting the stone walls. She cringed as they passed by Ozai's cell, but paused as she sensed a strange, murky presence she'd never felt before from within the room.

"Hey, um," she started. "Do you know if they've moved Ozai recently?"

Jaya shrugged. "Not sure. Why?"

Ty Lee walked towards the door to his cell and slowly lifted the cover. Raising herself to her toes, she peeked into the dark room. Ozai sat against the back wall of his cell, arms around his knees, head sunk against his chest.

Ty Lee felt Jaya peek into the cell over her shoulder. "Looks like he's still here. They shouldn't have any reason to move him," she said hastily. "Come on, we should go. We're late as it is."

Ty Lee continued to stare into the darkness. "No, wait. Something's not right. His aura is _way_ off," she whispered.

Jaya stood back and frowned. "I still don't understand this 'aura' thing, but if it makes you feel better, we can go in and check on him. But make it quick," she said, pulling out the long rope of keys they'd used to lock up the others. She fumbled with them for a moment before sticking one into the lock and pushing the door open.

Light from the corridor spilled into the room. Ozai flinched, but kept his head bowed low, dark strands of hair falling into his face. Heart throbbing, Ty Lee approached the cell.

"O-Ozai," she said as roughly as she could, but stopped and continued quietly. "Are you…unwell?"

He buried deeper into himself, but didn't respond.

 _This isn't right…_ He always sat cross-legged, posture erect, never cowered over in such an open display of defeat.

"Maybe he's finally giving into the humiliation he's brought upon himself," Jaya chided. Ty Lee flinched at her levity; her former Fire Lord still sent chills up her spine, though not nearly as bad as Azula did.

Crouching down, Ty Lee cocked her head to try and catch his gaze. He turned away.

Suddenly, two guards tumbled into the room. "What's going on in here?" a woman asked.

"Sorry," Jaya said quickly, "She just wanted to check—"

"This _isn't right,_ " Ty Lee interrupted, unusually stern. She stood up and looked back at the guards—a tall woman and a very wide, muscular man. "Open this cell."

"What? Look, kid, we get you're the Fire Lord's special guard, but you can't just—"

"Open it _now_! Something is _really_ wrong. I can sense it," she said, voice shaking. "When's the last time someone took a close look at him?"

The guards looked at her, dumbfounded. The man shrugged. "Fine, whatever," he said, looking at his companion. "Look, let's just do it so these two will get out of our hair. I'd like to finish our final rounds so I can get home at a decent hour." The woman sighed, walking back to secure the exit while he unlocked the metal grating holding the prisoner. Sliding it open, he moved cautiously towards Ozai. As he reached for him, Ozai suddenly thrust his hand forward, a bright flame of fire shooting towards the man's face.

"Aaagh!" he cried, barely deflecting the flames before they all rushed forward.

"HOW IS HE BENDING?!" the woman shrieked.

"I DON'T KNOW!" the man bellowed, trying to pin Ozai's arms down. Ty Lee swooped in quickly and delivered several jabs to the prisoner's back. He collapsed to the hard stone floor.

The female guard lit a handful of fire, then reached out with trembling fingers to brush the long strands of hair out of the former Fire Lord's face.

A wave a nausea swept over Ty Lee. "Th-that's… _not Ozai_."

* * *

"This isn't right..."

Katara opened her eyes. She'd dozed off on the floor as she sat next to Aang's body, leaning back against the bedframe and keeping one hand on his knee. "What, Sokka?" she mumbled. She glanced over at Noren, asleep in the chair beside Ursa with Kiyi against his chest.

Sokka followed her gaze and lowered his voice. "Zuko said they'd meet us back here hours ago…and I'm sure he would've come straight to see his mom."

"Oh…well, maybe they got caught up with something. Suki's with him, so I'm sure they're fine," she said sleepily.

Sokka looked a little uneasy. "Yeah…"

At that moment, the door behind them creaked open. Ty Lee poked her head around. She looked upset.

"Ty Lee? What's going on?" Sokka asked, standing.

She bit her lip, motioning for them to come over. Katara planted a quick kiss on Aang's cheek before the siblings stood and made their way into the hall.

Ty Lee shut the door quietly before turning to face them. Giant tears suddenly streamed down her face.

"Ty Lee! What's wrong?!" Katara said, moving beside her. Sokka looked freaked out.

"They're g-gone!" she said, sobbing uncontrollably. "And the rest are…d-dead! And in the p-prison we found—"

"Wait, slow down Ty Lee, who's gone?" Katara asked.

"Who's dead?!" Sokka exclaimed.

Ty Lee looked up at them, her breaths shaky as she tried to calm down. Katara wrapped an arm around her shoulders. It felt strange, since the most interaction she'd had with the girl was trying to avoid her chi-blocking during the war, but those tears were enough to ignite Katara's momma polar bear dog instinct without a second thought.

"The entire troop…assigned to bring Zuko back…" Ty Lee continued. "Th-they're all dead!" she cried out, before covering her face with her hands. "Azula…she killed them all…Some were my…friends…"

Katara felt her gut clench as she looked up at Sokka. His face was white as a sheet. He grabbed Ty Lee's shoulders. "What about Suki? Where is she?!"

"Gone. Her and Zuko are…gone."

Sokka stared at her, eyes quivering in fear. Before Katara could speak, a broad man approached them quickly from the shadows.

"Master Katara. Sokka," he said, bowing quickly. He had a short, dark beard and hair pulled back into a low bun. "I'm General Mak. Have you been informed on the current situation?"

"W-we know that Zuko and Suki are missing—" Katara began, her voice much weaker than usual.

"That's not the only bad news," he replied darkly. "Ozai…he's escaped the capital prison. And I'm certain it's tied to the attack on the Fire Lord."

The string of horrible news left Katara speechless. Sokka stared at the man, mouth hanging open.

General Mak's expression wavered, a flash of guilt sweeping across his face. "I'm sorry," he continued, looking at the ground, clenching his fists. "I understand the great sacrifice you all made to remove Ozai from power. I promise you—we'll do everything we can to find him."

Katara looked over at her brother. He stared back at her, eyebrows furrowed deeply, before looking back at the general. "It's all right, General," he said. "We'll help you out however we can."

General Mak nodded before going on. "With the Fire Lord missing, it is crucial that we keep control over the capital. In fact, I think we should keep this information confidential as we search for him. There are already several riots in the city due to the lockdown and I don't want to cause further panic."

"I agree," Sokka said. Katara could see his mind working as he folded his arms across his chest. "Aang is…away, temporarily, but until he returns, Katara and I can take his sky bison to search the surrounding areas while you manage things here."

"Yes, that would be extremely helpful," the general replied. "Thank you, again." He bowed quickly and took off down the hall. Sokka stared after him, before turning to face her.

"This…this is _bad,_ " he said, his eyes quivering.

Katara looked back towards Ursa's room. _Aang,_ she thought. _Please hurry..._

* * *

Zuko listened as Suki's breathing slowed to the gentle rhythm of sleep. His arms were still folded, nails digging into his skin through his sleeves, heart pounding wildly.

 _What was I doing?_ he thought for the hundredth time. _What…am I feeling?_

He looked over at Suki's sleeping form, her outline just barely visible in the dark room. Her bright, watery eyes flashed in his mind; the feeling of her soft, strong fingers beneath his; the tingling that shot up his arm when he brushed her face—

Zuko grabbed at the roots of his hair and tucked his head between his knees. _What am I doing? Didn't I just tell Mai how much I missed her YESTERDAY?!_ Though in truth, that felt like ages ago after everything that had happened, after realizing Mai had been lying to him. _How could Mai keep that from me?_ He recollected painfully. _If we had known Ukano was leading the New Ozai Society, we could have stopped Kiyi from being kidnapped, ALL those kids from being kidnapped. Whatever her reasons, what Mai did was…selfish, and wrong,_ he admitted to himself. It felt like his insides were in knots. _And if Kiyi hadn't been kidnapped,_ he continued, mind racing, _maybe my mom wouldn't have—_

Turning his thoughts to his mother only made him feel worse. He trusted Katara, but what if this was something not even she could fix? Could he really lose his mother after everything he went through to get her back? He bit his lip to stop its trembling, squeezing his arms across his middle to try and push the horrible aching back inside.

" _Zuko, you don't have to do this alone."_

Suki's words from the afternoon resonated in his mind. He peeked back over his shoulder at the cot, half expecting her to be sitting up and speaking to him. He recalled how she stayed with him while he cradled his mother in his arms; how she steered Appa so he could stay with Kiyi; how she patiently listened when he'd been worrying over Tom-Tom; how she hadn't blamed him for keeping secrets during the Yu Dao conflict, even when everyone else assumed the worst. Now, instead of boyish elation, he felt a deep fondness he'd never realized was there. It was as if knowing she had ended things with Sokka opened a floodgate of affection, one his honor had previously been damming up.

 _Suki's just a really kind person,_ he thought, berating himself. _She's just being a supportive friend. She could never feel anything for you._ He frowned deeply. _Anyway, this is stupid, you're just tired,_ and he really was. He leaned back against the cabinet, resting his eyes but trying to keep his ears alert for possible visitors.

He woke what felt like minutes later. The lantern had died out. Although they were in a windowless room, he could sense with his firebending that the sunrise was minutes away. Groaning, he realized he'd slept through the night by accident. He sat up, cracking his sore neck before lighting a small fire in his palm and turning towards Suki. She was still fast asleep, her mouth slightly ajar, arm dangling from the edge of the cot as her fingers curled against the ground. _Cute,_ Zuko thought warmly, before mentally smacking himself.

Deciding to let her sleep for a couple more minutes, he forced himself to get up in search of a washroom. After wandering the upper level, he ventured down into the base floor and found one just off staircase.

He was scrubbing his hands in a washbasin when a horribly familiar voice rang out from the shadows.

"Hello, _Fire Lord_."

His heart rammed into his throat as he looked up into the mirror. Narrow, muddy gold eyes stared back at him from the doorway. The hair on the back of Zuko's head was tingling, the veins in his neck pulsing madly. _Please let this be a bad dream,_ he thought desperately. He gripped the edges of the sink, not turning around.

"Can't even face me? You really are a despicable boy," the voice snarled.

Zuko turned around slowly, trembling with rage. A crooked smile flickered from the shadows. "How are you here?" Zuko demanded, his voice raspy and weak.

Ozai's grin widened, but he didn't speak.

Fuming, Zuko bent a thick stream of fire but was suddenly cut off by a bolt of lightning. It flew past his head and destroyed the sink behind him, the mirror shattering to the ground.

A single Kemurikage emerged from the doorway, standing in front of his father.

"Azula! Is that you?!" Zuko demanded.

Ozai laughed maliciously, walking forward to rest a hand on the silent figure. " _Azula?_ No, your sister may prove to be more worthless even than you, Zuko. This here is…shall we say, one of my _pets_. I'm quite a good trainer, you know."

Zuko felt his stomach lurch, his throat burning. He snarled, raising his fists to fire, but Ozai called out loudly, "If you attack, your pretty little friend is _dead_."

"W-what are you talking about? There's no one else here," Zuko lied. He kept his face deadpan, despite how his body was quaking. His thoughts screamed at him. _I can't believe you left her sleeping up there, injured, all alone! She'll be caught completely off guard!_ He felt beads of sweat dripping down his temple as he sent another stream of blazing orange flames towards Ozai.

Ozai laughed cruelly as the Kemurikage beat back the flames. "Fine," he said offhandedly as two more masked figures emerged from the darkness. He turned towards the shortest of them. "She's upstairs. Kill her."

Fear boiled up inside Zuko and he cut off the flames. "NO! Wait! Please," he begged, abandoning his bluff. He would've just fought them all in that moment, but he couldn't risk one assailant reaching Suki while he battled the rest. _Can I trust my father to keep his word?_ He bit down hard on the inside of his lip, tasting blood as he thought. _By handing myself over, I'd be betraying the safety of the Fire Nation…_ He looked at the three hooded figures clustered around Ozai. _They can all bend lightning. Even if we injured them last night, I can't redirect multiple strikes at once,_ he admitted bitterly. He deliberated frantically for several more seconds before lowering his arms, his head bowed in bitter submission. "Just tell me what you want, Father."

"Ahhh, what I _want_." Ozai motioned to one of his cronies and she stepped forward. "A few hours ago I just wanted you _dead,_ son. But seeing you in person, I've had a change of heart."

The masked woman approached Zuko and thrust her hand at his neck. He flinched as something sharp pricked his skin.

"What I want is to see you from the _other_ side of those prison bars before I kill you."

Zuko felt his breath grow shallow as he tried to keep the room in focus.

" _Now_ ," Ozai said, his voice far away. "Go kill her."


	11. Chapter 11

Noren woke as the rising sun hit his eyes. He groaned, his back stiff from sleeping in the chair all night. Looking down, he saw Kiyi, still asleep in his lap.

Dread settled over him like a ton of bricks as he felt a soft but cold hand encased in his own. He looked over at his wife, her face pale, her breaths shallow. His eyes grew moist as he back at Kiyi. Her eyes were now open.

"Daddy? Are you sad?"

"I'm worried about your mother. She's…very sick." He glanced over at the Avatar, whose eyes and tattoos continued to glow.

Kiyi climbed off his lap and over to the bed. She hesitated before placing a hand on Ursa's arm. "She really is Mommy, isn't she."

"Yes, baby. She is."

Kiyi slowly climbed into the bed and under the covers, her little hands covering her mother's. Noren leaned his head back, closing his eyes as the tears escaped them.

* * *

Aang ran between the brightly colored trees of a Spirit World forest. _It sure takes forever to get around without airbending,_ he thought impatiently. "But, at least now I have a greater appreciation for those who have to walk everywhere they go," he said aloud to himself. "Just gotta keep that upbeat attitude!"

"Take your _upbeat attitude_ somewhere else, Noisy!" a scratchy voice yelled down at him from the treetops.

"Oh! Sorry!" Aang called out. "Um, do you know where I could find the Mother of Faces?"

"I said shut it!"

"Please! This is really important!"

"No! Get out of here before I come down there and gobble you up, human!" the voice called, growing measurably deeper and angrier. Aang was fairly certain it was an empty threat, but he still sprinted quickly away.

Several minutes later he decided to climb one of the trees to orient himself. Jumping, he grabbed one of the lower branches and swung his legs up. The higher he climbed, the more crowded the branches grew with sundry spirits. His presence created quite the pandemonium, which seemed somewhat unnecessary. _Why are spirits always so irritable?_ he thought, exasperated.

"Excuse me! Sorry! I need to get through, please!" he repeated over and over, finally brushing aside a few small puffy spirit birds who refused to let him up on the highest branches. They pecked at him harmlessly before flying over to a nearby branch.

"Phew!" he said as he poked his head out of the top of the canopy. Looking out, he scanned the large valley for signs of the four pools of Forgetful Valley, or even the wolf spirit. But all he saw was a wide expanse of dark burgundy and purple treetops, their leaves creeping up the edges of the surrounding hills.

 _Ugh, nothing!_ he thought miserably. "Please! Anyone!" he cried out to the empty, swirling sky above him. Frowning, he climbed back down beneath the foliage.

Branches once full of perched spirits were now completely bare, aside from a massive creature hanging upside down from one of the lower limbs. Aang climbed down quickly.

"Mr. Flutter-Bat! Hooray!" he cried, recognizing the spirit who had helped him find the Mother of Faces before. "Please! I'm looking for someone. Her name is Ursa, and I think the Mother of Faces could know why she's here and where she might be. Can you take me to her…again, maybe?"

"Come with me," the spirit replied, its voice echoing unnaturally. "I will show you what you want to see."

He climbed atop the bat's back and they flew near the ground beneath the trees, emerging where the forest met a steep cliff. His ride took a nosedive, barreling towards a dark, foggy crevice below them.

"Aaaaah!" Aang yelled, gripping the flutter-bat's large ears as the force of the fall threatened to send him flying. The creature tore open its wings right as they plunged into the darkness, and the force nearly knocked the wind from Aang's chest. They navigated among dripping stalactites illuminated by a soft blue glow before the cave gave way to a vast, misty expanse. A massive, gnarled tree loomed before them, rimmed in golden-brown light.

"This…this is Koh's lair," Aang realized. "Mr. Flutter-Bat, why are we—" he began before a speck of red caught his eye. Sitting on one of the twisted roots by the entrance to the tree was a woman dressed in Fire Nation robes. Her knees were pulled to her chest, her face buried in her hands.

"URSA!" Aang cried against the wind as the bat sailed down. He leapt from its back and ran towards her. When she didn't react, Aang froze. _Oh…oh no…why is she covering her face? Could Koh have—_

Ursa looked up at him slowly. He held his breath but relaxed when he saw her smiling at him. "Avatar. Thank goodness you're here."

"Ursa, I thought…I mean, this is Koh's lair. I'm so glad you didn't run into him."

"Actually, I did. You were right, he's not very nice," she said coolly.

Aang blanched, but recovered quickly. "Ursa, how are you here, in the Spirit World? What happened?"

She shook her head, gazing at the ground. "I have no idea."

"It's okay. Right now we need to get back to the Mortal World. Everyone's so worried about you," he said, sitting beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, and we found Kiyi! She's back!"

"She is?!" Ursa exclaimed, her entire countenance changing. She looked up at Aang with tears in her eyes, a hand over her heart. "Oh Aang, thank you," she said, embracing him.

"Well, it was really Suki who saved her. Zuko and I just picked them up," Aang admitted as they stood up. Ursa looked curious, but didn't say anything. "Anyway," Aang continued, "we better figure out how to get you back. As the Avatar, I can cross between the worlds through meditating, but I'm not sure if that will work for you. I just wish I knew how you got here in the first place."

"I might as well give meditation a try," Ursa suggested.

Aang grinned. "I can help you with that."

* * *

Suki woke with a start, unsure if the crashing sound ringing in her ears was real or a remnant of her dreams. _Where—oh. The factory. Zuko…_ The door was slightly ajar, letting in enough dim grey light for her to tell he was gone. She stood slowly, unsure of her condition. She took one step, then two, and didn't feel the rush of dizziness from the night before. She turned back to grab her gear, pulling the armor on quickly and tying her weapons in place. As she slipped one glove on, the light behind her faded. She spun around. A Kemurikage filled the small doorway.

 _No…how did they find us? Where's Zuko?!_ In her moment of surprise, the hooded figure had stepped into the room, shutting the door halfway behind her.

 _She's here for me,_ Suki realized, staring down the masked woman. They were about the same height, just feet away in the cramped room. Pulling out a small knife, the figure launched at Suki. She ducked and pushed against the woman's torso, throwing her against the opposite wall. Suki started move towards the door but felt the heat of a fire blast rushing towards her. She dodged it with ease; with such small quarters, the firebender couldn't risk engulfing them both in flames. The attacker ran at her, the knife coming within inches of her face as Suki grabbed the woman's wrists to hold her back. Glancing at the knife in the semi-darkness, she noticed the tip looked like it had been dipped in tar.

 _More poison!?_ She thought, her arms quivering. Suki brought her knee up hard into the assailant's stomach. The woman gave a muffled grunt, but managed to pull one arm free and elbow Suki hard in her injured shoulder.

Crying out, she fell to the ground. Her shoulder felt like it was torn in half; the dark, spilling robes in front of her were swirling in her vision.

Looking up, she saw the knife coming towards her chest as if in slow motion. A sudden and desperate idea forming in her mind, Suki turned back to the ground and reached into the robes. Catching hold of one ankle, she rolled away quickly with all the energy she could unearth, pulling the leg into the space just occupied by her torso.

The knife barely scraped the woman's thigh before she recoiled, but it was enough.

The blade clattered to the floor as the attacker swayed. She rammed into the cabinet, knocking several jars off the shelves, before crumbling in a heap on the floor. Suki remained on the ground, her breath ragged as sparks of pain radiated from her back. After a long minute, she forced herself to sit up. Looking over at the heap of robes, she noticed the subtle motions of breathing coming from the body.

Suki stood up quickly, the blood rushing from her head as she made to leave. She stopped in the doorway, another desperate idea forming in her mind. She walked carefully back to the unconscious assailant and knelt down. With mild regret, she tore several long strips from her outer kimono and used them to restrain the small, pale wrists and ankles of the kidnapper. She pulled down the hood and untied the mask, rolling the body over onto its back. The girl's dark brown hair obscured her face, which she brushed away.

Suki stifled a scream. A faceless sheath of skin stared back at her.


	12. Chapter 12

Mai kept her eyes closed as the numbness faded from her limbs, cursing herself over and over again for falling for her father's trap. _Such an idiot! I'm such an idiot. Kei Lo…would they even bother to keep him alive?_ The thought made her sick, made her chest tighten. Moisture pressed against her eyelids, threatening to spill out.

 _Great. Turns out I'm in love with that patsy after all._ She opened her eyes, letting two thick tears escape as she took in her surroundings. She was in her old room, still at her father's house.

"What?" she said aloud. _Why did they leave me here?_ She sat up carefully, blood rushing from her head, trying to figure out what to do. The sun was barely cresting the rooftops outside her window, its new rays hitting her eyes irritably. She turned away and reached into her sleeves, checking for her knives. They were still there. She tugged at one of the smaller stilettos absently, remembering Kei Lo's gentle touch, the warmth she felt from him as they stood together on the doorstep the night before.

As she slipped her hands back out of her sleeves, a small piece of parchment dropped to the floor. It was the factory ticket Kei Lo had found in her father's office. As she picked it up, a sudden feeling of importance tugged at her chest. She examined the form, noting the address of the factory down in Harbor City.

She sighed, frustrated. _Guess this is all I have to go off of._

Several minutes later, Mai had made her way silently out of the house and was pressed against the wall just beside the front entrance to the courtyard. Several guards were on patrol, their pounding boots the only sound in the early morning quiet. Mai studied their patterns for the next few minutes before calling out, just audible enough for the two guards walking past to hear.

"Help. Help me," she said, trying to sound frightened. It just came out monotone.

Their footsteps clattered up the stone steps to the yard. "Oi! What's going on in here?"

The poisoned knives had cut across both guard's cheeks before they'd even realized what was happening. As they collapsed to the ground, Mai dragged them quickly behind some bushes and stripped the female soldier of her uniform. She felt a little bad—these two were technically on her side, after all. She ran into the house quickly and brought out some robes to replace those she'd taken so the woman could at least wake up with some dignity.

A minute later, Mai finished slipping the uniform over her clothes. She placed the helmet over her head, scrunching her nose and trying not to think about the last time it had been washed. These uniforms were baggy and covered everything but her face and hands—perfect for concealing her clothes and weapons underneath, though she could have gone without the pointed shoulder guards.

She waited for the next round of guards to pass before making her way into the street and towards the palace gates. Several rows of troops were lining up to enter. She took a spot in the back and was soon marching through the gates.

 _That worked out better than I could've hoped,_ she mused. She felt strange sneaking into the palace like this. Her entire life, she'd been free to come and go here freely. But with the capital under lockdown, this was easier than trying to get a hold of Zuko.

 _Besides…I don't need his help,_ she thought bitterly. _By the time he'd get around to finding Kei Lo, he'd be dead, if they haven't killed him alread—_ She stopped that line of thought quickly, grinding her teeth.

She kept with the brigade as they marched into a back entrance. At the soonest opportunity, she slipped down a dark hallway and waited for the footsteps to fade away. She quickly pulled off the stuffy uniform and tucked it into a large, empty vase. She made her way down the abandoned hallway, making several turns based off memories from her childhood before she reached her destination.

A stone statue of a lion vulture stood at the end of a corridor. It only came up to her shoulders now, but as a child its empty eyes seemed to bore down into her each time she looked up at it. Memories of Azula dragging her and Ty Lee here flashed in her mind as she pressed her back against the side of the statue. Bracing her legs against the wall, she slid the sculpture aside. A small opening appeared beneath it, winding stone steps just barely visible in the darkness below.

Mai barely managed to squeeze into the opening. As she worked her way down the narrow stairwell, she fought the familiar claustrophobia, only heightened now that she had grown. At last she reached the bottom, where a tunnel just slightly larger than the stairwell opened up.

She pulled out the piece of parchment again, gripping it tightly. _Kei Lo…I'm coming for you._

* * *

 _What is this?! Are they even human?_ Suki felt herself trembling as she backed away from the body, unable to tear her eyes away from the blank face as much as it terrified her.

 _I know I heard her cry out!_ she realized, horrified. _How? How can she speak…breathe…see?_ As curiously overcame fear, she crawled back over slowly and hovered a hand over the face. She felt a faint rush of air skim her palm. Fingers trembling, she carefully felt the smooth skin.

But it wasn't smooth. She felt a nose, a mouth before pulling back and covering another scream.

 _Okay. This has to be a bad dream. This can't be real!_

But she didn't wake up.

Worry for Zuko suddenly overcame her. Cursing herself for wasting so much time, she clamped her mouth shut against the nausea and pulled the robes off the woman before tying her wrists to the cot. _That won't hold for long…but I have to get moving,_ she reasoned. Suki tried to pull the robes over her head, but they fell awkwardly over her armor. Frustrated, she tore off her armor and burnt outer kimono before trying again, then secured the stolen mask to her face. She tried to adjust to seeing through the single eye hole as she rushed out the door.

Running up to the edge of the balcony, she heard several footsteps down below. She made her way carefully down the steps and saw another Kemurikage stepping out of a room off the staircase, the mask just barely visible in the early morning light from the upper floor's windows. The woman lit a fire in her palm and looked over at Suki.

 _Spirits! I can't firebend! What was I thinking?_ she thought, feeling the sweat forming along her brow beneath the mask. Too late to turn back, she walked slowly towards the woman.

As she approached, a surprisingly soft voice whispered from behind the mask. "Aki, are you okay?" It sounded like a young woman, maybe close to her own age, though she had a couple inches on her.

Suki nodded. The girl put a hand on her shoulder but froze as footsteps came from the door behind them.

"Did you finish the job?" a deep voice asked. Suki looked around the woman and felt her throat closing up. _It can't be…_

"She did," the girl answered for her.

Suddenly, Ozai stepped forward and slapped the side of the girl's head hard, knocking her to the ground. "I didn't ask you!" he said harshly, before turning to Suki. "Well?! Did you?" She nodded quickly, bowing her head and giving a formal Fire Nation bow. It made her sick to do it.

"Good." At that moment, a couple dozen New Ozai Society members flooded the room. "Go grab my idiot son and follow us," he barked at them.

Suki looked down. The other girl was still kneeling on the ground, holding the side of her head. Suki could just barely hear her ragged breaths. Suki reached down to help her up, mainly to keep up her guise but also because she felt an odd pang of sympathy. They walked behind Ozai as a couple men emerged from the room, carrying Zuko's limp body between them.

 _Zuko!_ Suki felt her already-pounding heart quicken. _How am I going to get us out of this?!_

The third Kemurikage exited last, joining her and the other girl as they walked towards one of the large, circular tanks in the floor. A cloaked, hooded figure emerged from the group and stood before the tanks. His hands shot out and grabbed the tank's surface, walking around the circumference and peeling a section away.

 _He's metalbending!_ Suki knew only one person who could have taught him that.

Everyone filed into the tank. A rank, acidic smell filled her nose, even from behind the mask. The earthbender peeled back the bottom of the tank before thrusting his hands forward to carve a tunnel in the earth beneath them.

 _Okay. I'll just go along, figure out where they're hiding, then sneak away to get help._

They made their way through the tunnel, the other Kemurikage lighting fires in their palms to light the way. Suki fell back, terrified they would expect her to do the same, though no one seemed to care. After a couple miles, they hit a fork and turned left.

The roar of crumbling earth sounded from behind her. Looking back, her heart stopped. The earthbender had sealed them in.

* * *

Ursa sat in a cold sweat, despite the peaceful green meadow surrounding them. The large moth-bat had taken them away from Koh's realm, since Aang didn't think it was very conducive to peaceful meditation. Ursa didn't argue with that.

The flight here had been exhilarating, and knowing Kiyi was safe had given her some peace. However, a horrible aching still lingered in the pit of her stomach.

"Aang, I don't think this is going to work," she finally stated, opening her eyes and leaning back out of her lotus position.

Aang's brows were furrowed, as though he were considering something carefully. "There's one more method we could try here," he said slowly. "Do you feel—I mean, is there some strong emotion you're feeling right now? Something that could create a mental block?"

Ursa bit the inside of her cheek, looking away. "Yes," she said simply.

Aang waited patiently, his hands folded in his lap. His manner was usually so lighthearted and youthful that it was strange to see him this way. Like there was actually an ancient, enlightened monk sitting before her, trapped in a young man's body. After a few minutes, she spoke again. "It's fear, Aang. I'm afraid."

"Of Koh?"

She shook her head.

Aang looked curious, but didn't inquire further. "Okay. Then I think this might work." Ursa was skeptical, but sat back up in her meditation pose and tried to relax again. Aang continued, "Have you ever heard of chakras?"

"No."

"Well, they're like storage centers for our body's chi, or energy, and they're all connected. Each one deals with a different emotion, and they can become easily blocked when we become overpowered by that emotion. A guru once tried to help me open them so that I could control the Avatar State freely." Aang paused, looking a little uncomfortable, but continued, "In your case, however, I think we just need to deal with the Earth chakra, which is blocked by fear. And luckily, it's the first one!"

"Okay. What do I need to do?"

"Just close your eyes." She did. "Now, bring to mind your greatest fears. And, when you're ready, let them go."

Ursa opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow at Aang. "That sounds easier said than done."

Aang looked a little guilty. "I know…it will be pretty intense. If you don't want to we can try something—"

"No, it's okay. I'll try." She closed her eyes.

"What are you most afraid of?" Aang asked rhetorically. "Allow your fears to become clear in your mind."

With shallow breaths, Ursa allowed the fears to surface. Before, they'd always been a muddle of emotions and memories, but now concrete images began to form.

A man towered above her, his robes richly ornate and dripping with blood. She knew who it was, but was afraid to look up. She began to tremble, squeezing her eyes tight.

Aang's voice called out, though it felt miles away. "Try not to fight them, Ursa. You have to understand your fears if you are going to overcome them."

She looked up at the vision. Ozai glared down at her, his hair long and neat, falling to his waist. His eyes were narrow, his mouth set in a snarl.

Suddenly he stepped aside. Behind him stood Noren...no, Ikem _—_ he had his original face _._ He held Kiyi, her face buried in his neck. Beside them stood an eleven year-old Zuko, his face unscarred. He held onto the corner of Ikem's shirt, cheeks wet with tears. A few paces away sat a young woman, hunched over, her black, tangled hair cascading over her face.

"Ikem!" she cried out. His face contorted in agony—the way it had when Ozai took her away _—_ but he didn't respond. "Zuko! I'm right here, my love!" Zuko wiped his eyes roughly on his sleeve and bit his lip, but didn't acknowledge her. Ursa felt her throat constricting. The young woman looked up suddenly, her eyes quivering in rage. "Azula?" she choked out.

Suddenly, she felt herself being dragged away from them. She looked down—her hands and feet were bound. She kicked and screamed but couldn't get away. Looking up, Ozai grinned maliciously at her before tossing her aside. He turned back to those she loved most in the world and shot a blaze of bright yellow flames towards them. Ursa let out a cry of agony.

"Ursa, your vision isn't real!" a young voice came from the darkness. "Try to understand your fears, but then let them go."

Sobbing, she tried to focus. _My family…my choices…my life..._ She began to panic. _He took them all…He took them all away from me!_ It was becoming difficult to breathe.

 _He took them all! It's too late! It's too late!_


	13. Chapter 13

_It's okay. Don't panic. There's still got to be some other way out of here…_

Suki followed the entourage through the twisting tunnels, trying to memorize the route. There was almost no pattern to it, and it felt like they'd been walking for hours. She kept a close eye on Zuko, who was being hauled along carelessly, his toes dragging against the ground.

She realized if she dug her nails into her palms any longer, they'd probably start bleeding. She relaxed her fingers and chewed on the inside of her cheek instead.

They finally stopped at a doorway that looked like the countless others they'd already passed. The men pulled Zuko inside. Suki started to follow but felt a hand grab her wrist and drag her down the hallway. It was the Kemurikage girl from before. Frustrated, she followed them down several more tunnels. _Two rights, one left, one right, three lefts,_ she memorized desperately before they entered a small room with three beds. The other woman walked over and lit a lamp on the table before pulling off her mask and tossing it aside.

Her face was missing too. Suki bit her lip hard, though she'd half expected it. Long, dark hair fell around the face as the woman, or girl—it was difficult to tell—sat on the edge of the bed. The first girl pulled her hood and mask off as well, revealing a head of short, cropped hair and yet another face covered by pale skin. Her ear was bright red, blood dripping down her neck.

"Teja! What happened?" a voice asked, echoing strangely from the girl on the bed.

Teja's head bent down, as if looking at her feet. "It's nothing. I'm fine, Chou."

Chou shook her head and stood, leaving the room for several minutes before coming back with a wet cloth and some bandages. She pulled Teja to another bed and helped her dress the wound.

"I'm not a fool. I know _he_ did it," Chou whispered roughly. Teja covered her smooth face with her hands.

Suki realized she'd been frozen in place during the entire exchange. It was just…not at all what she was expecting. They didn't seem to notice her, so she made her way towards the third bed and laid down.

"Aki, you don't have to keep the mask on all day," Chou said.

Teja lifted her head. "Yeah sweetie, it's just us."

Suki laid in a cold sweat. _I can't let them see me! And I can't talk my way out of this; they'll realize I don't have Aki's voice!_ After a few moments, she turned to face the wall and untied the mask, pulling it off slowly and reaching back to set it on the ground without turning to face them.

She heard Chou sigh. "You'll get used to it soon. At least there aren't any mirrors in this place."

Several minutes later, Suki faked sleep as she listened to them talking quietly.

"Do you think he'll really kill him?" Teja asked. Suki gripped the rough wool blanket. _Maybe I should just make a run for it before Zuko gets—_

"Not yet. I'm sure he'll want to torture him first," Chou said darkly.

 _I've got to get to him!_ Suki thought, but then heard one of them crying quietly.

"Great Agni, Teja, calm down. It's not like we know the guy."

"He's our _family,_ Chou!"

 _What?!_ Suki gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth.

"Not really," Chou replied curtly. "Besides, you almost killed him yourself last night."

"…That's not fair."

They were silent for several minutes. "Sorry," Chou whispered. Suki heard the shuffling of feet and bedding as the light went out. She heard their breathing slow to that of sleep within minutes. As soon as it seemed safe, she grabbed her mask and crept silently from the room.

Her mind was racing with questions from what she'd overheard as she worked her way back towards Zuko's prison cell. She shook her head to clear it—she had to focus on getting to Zuko right now. After a wrong turn, she managed to backtrack, eventually entering a long corridor with an open doorway in the dirt wall.

Two unmasked Society members stood guard. As she approached, they stiffened. She stood tall and steady before them, though her heart was slamming against her chest. They stared at the ground, eyes wide in fear. After several long moments, she decided they weren't going to look up at her. She took a deep breath and walked past them into the dark room.

The firelight from the hallway cast her shadow far into the cave-like space. A crumpled figure sat behind metal bars, his head slumped against his chest and dark hair covering his face.

" _Zuko_ ," she mouthed. She tugged against the bars, looking them up and down, but there was no door or keyhole for them. She turned around, but the guards weren't watching her. Kneeling on the ground, Suki stretched her arm out between the bars, but was just barely able to brush Zuko's ankle with her fingertips before a voice spoke from behind her.

"Leave us."

Suki turned quickly, her heart in her throat. The two guards were bowing deeply to a hooded figure before dashing off down the corridor. It then turned towards her, a one-eyed mask glaring at her from the doorway.

The voice wavered angrily, hands forming balls of fire. "Who are you? _Where is Aki?!"_

* * *

Mai finally caught a glimpse of light ahead. She'd been wandering through the dark, dirty tunnel for hours. Though it was a straight shot to the outside, she hadn't realized just how difficult it would be to navigate in darkness. Azula had always provided the fire for them to see when she brought them down here as kids.

"Still better alone than with her _,_ " she grumbled, squinting against the afternoon sun as she emerged at the base of the mountain. Surrounding her was a blanket of tall, dry grass. Towards the east she saw the peaks of smoke stacks.

 _Harbor City,_ she recognized as she began to jog in that direction. An hour later she emerged from the field and walked into the bustling city. She stepped into an alleyway to catch her breath, listening to the gruff voices and clanking sounds of factory workers moving around the streets. She pulled out the parchment again, checking the address before walking back out into the road.

She was already feeling lost when she heard several catcalls behind her. She turned around as seven filthy men jumped down from a stack of metal crates and walked towards her.

 _Ugh. I don't have time for this._

A large, greasy-looking man approached her. "Now, what's a lovely young lady like yourself doing around these parts?" he asked, stepping way too far into her personal space.

Mai held back the urge to dry heave, instead pulling out the parchment and shoving it in his face. "Tell me how I can get to this place," she deadpanned.

The others laughed, but the giant man grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him. "I know a much nicer place you can go than that. How about I show—aaaaargh!"

Mai pulled her knife out of his arm as he fell to his knees, screaming as he grabbed the gushing wound. She snapped her head up at the others, pulling out four more knives with one hand as she held the parchment out with the other. "Someone tell me how to get here, _now_."

Two hours later, she was standing in front of a large, steel-plated building that bordered a dirty stream. She glanced down at the parchment, checking the address against the bent sign that hung on the fence surrounding the building. _Finally, I made it. This better be worth it,_ Mai thought, suddenly worried she'd spent the day pursuing a dead end.

She ran around the periphery and found a door, its handle broken. She pushed it open and crept slowly inside. Though it was still during normal business hours, she didn't hear a sound. Feeling uneasy, she walked between the massive rows of shelves. She recognized pieces of the net-throwing contraptions the New Ozai Society had used to ambush Zuko's family a couple months ago, along with what looked like piles of junk metal pouring from the shelves onto the floor.

She finally reached a balcony and looked over the edge to the giant tanks in the floor below. One of them had a gash torn out of the side. Her heart began to race as she ran around to the stairs and made her way to the ground floor. She stepped into the opened tank, plugging her nose against the stench as she examined its floor. It too had been torn apart, a deep dirt tunnel opening into the earth below.

 _Great. More tunnels,_ she thought, climbing into the opening and jogging slowly down the sloping path. Once emerged in darkness, she slowed to a walk as she tried to navigate blindly.

 _I've never wished for firebending more than I have today,_ she thought dryly. As she made her way down, she tried to figure out what in the world an earthbender would be doing here, digging a tunnel in the middle of the factory supplying the Society with weapons.

Several hours later, she sat down against the side of the tunnel. It had leveled out quickly in the beginning, continuing fairly straight for what felt like miles. She breathed deeply, a growing hopelessness sweeping over her and making her exhaustion all the more noticeable. Her eyelids, already closed against the darkness, felt heavy as she leaned against the dirt wall. Against her will, sleep soon overcame her.

* * *

"He took them all…all away…too late…" Ursa was whispering repeatedly. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, and she was shivering uncontrollably.

"Ursa! Ursa, are you okay?" Aang had his arms on her shoulders, trying to gently shake her out of…whatever it was that was happening. _I shouldn't have suggested we clear her chakra! What was I thinking?! What do I do?_ He looked around her and spotted the giant moth-bat several paces away. The spirit was standing motionless, eyes closed as several dozen puffy spirit birds sat perched on his shoulders and head.

"Mr. Flutter-Bat!" The spirit opened one eye before shaking off the little birds. They pecked at him before he flapped his wings, sending the little spirits rolling away through the air. He glided over to Aang, cocking a head at him.

"I think…I think now we really _do_ need to see the Mother of Faces! Please," Aang begged him. The spirit simply stood there, which Aang took as a yes. A few minutes later, he'd managed to get Ursa up onto the bat's back and they took off. He held onto her tightly with one hand and the bat's ear with the other. "Mr. Flutter-Bat! Maybe, umm, make it a smoother ride than normal this time…if you can." He wasn't sure he could hang on during another dive.

They glided over the grassy meadow for a few miles before climbing over a tall mountain peak. On the other side was a thick, dark forest containing several perfectly circular pools.

"Forgetful Valley. It looks different here," Ursa said quietly.

"Ursa! Are you feeling okay?" Aang asked, feeling relieved. She'd gone quiet a few minutes into the ride and he thought she'd passed out…if that was even possible as a spirit.

She nodded. "Where are we going?"

Before Aang could answer, a giant spirit emerged from the pond below them.

"It's her! It's the Mother of Faces!" Aang cried. The bat glided downwards, making wide circles before landing near the pond. Aang helped Ursa down and they walked slowly towards the glowing pool.

"Human, what brings you back to me again? Have I not done enough?" the spirit said, her voice deep and hollow.

"Mother of Faces! Please, she doesn't need another face, it's just that—"

"Silence, Avatar." The spirit bent down so one of her heads faced Ursa. "Of all the humans I have encountered, you are the only one who never demonstrated a sense of entitlement to receiving my aid." She drew back up to her full height. "You are still very troubled by your old life. For you, I would gladly remove those memories once again."

Ursa shook her head quickly. "Thank you, but no. I can't forget my children again," she said firmly. "I won't."

"Are you certain? I sense great fear inside you, blocking your return to the Mortal World. A human body cannot survive without its spirit for very long."

Ursa looked shocked. She began to tremble.

"Ursa!" Aang cried out. "There's got to be another way. We'll figure it out!"

Ursa didn't seem to hear him. "I see…" she said quietly. "I have no choice…but to do this."


	14. Chapter 14

Zuko woke slowly, opening his eyes to blackness. He shifted against the hard earth beneath him. His breath grew shallow as his memory returned.

 _"Go kill her."_

His chest tightened. _No! No, there's no way. She can't be—_ he thought desperately, trembling as he tried to move. He could barely shift forward a couple inches—his arms, drawn out to either side, were encased in the dirt wall behind him. His feet, likewise, were sealed in the floor he sat on. He yanked against them as hard as he could, but they wouldn't budge. It was like he was trapped in stone, not dirt.

He leaned his head back, eyes growing moist as he tried not to imagine the worst. _She must have made it…she's too strong not to have made it…_ He squeezed his eyes shut and yelled, flames escaping his mouth.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when orange light flickered across his eyes. He opened them quickly. Dark metal bars cast long shadows across the ground in front of him, illuminated by a fire held out by one of the kidnappers. She stood beside his father, and flanking his other side stood a hooded figure in dark robes.

From behind them, a second Kemurikage entered the cave-like room, placing a tea tray in front of the prison bars. The masked face turned towards Zuko, hesitating a split second before retreating beside her companion.

Ozai then sat in front of the tray, legs crossed, and began pouring two cups of tea. Zuko stared at him, seething.

"No need for such an unpleasant face, Zuko. At least on the half you can control," Ozai drawled.

Zuko didn't rise to the bait, though thin streams of smoke curled from his nostrils.

Ozai turned and nodded to the dark-robed person behind him. As their arms lifted, Zuko felt the earth surrounding his limbs give way. He barely registered that his wrists and ankles were encased in metal cuffs before he was jerked forward by them.

The bender across the room dragged him forward so he was lying prostrate on the dirt ground. He struggled to kneel up, but was soon aided as his wrists were pulled up by the metal cuffs. Once on his knees, his wrists fell back to the floor, locked in place. Zuko stared his father in the eyes, barring his teeth.

"Now, now, I just thought I would return the favor and bring _you_ some tea in prison," Ozai said scathingly. He nodded again and the hooded figure lowered one arm. Zuko felt the tension on his right wrist weaken as his arm was freed. Ozai picked up one cup of tea and extended it towards him, but Zuko didn't move.

"You lied," he said darkly.

Ozai smiled before throwing the cup of hot tea in Zuko's face. He groaned as the scalding liquid dripped down his neck and chest.

"Of course I lied, you fool. We would have captured you whether you fought back or not, but it was so much more entertaining to see you give up like an injured animal. And all to save a lowly _bodyguard,_ " he smirked. "Really, Zuko, the entire Fire Nation for an Earth Kingdom wench? We did you a favor by killing her."

"No…" Zuko stared at the ground, eyes wide and unfocused. _No, he's lying…please be lying!_ He was so distracted that he didn't notice the cuff tighten back against the ground or hear the sound of creaking metal as the bars parted ways. He barely noticed as he was pulled up by his collar, blood dripping from his wrists as his skin tore against the shackles.

A hard force rammed into his left jaw, whipping his head around.

His father pulled his fist back to strike again. Suddenly, Zuko saw the Agni Kai stadium surrounding him, felt his arms trembling as he knelt on the cool rock, saw a face without mercy glaring down at him.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, you worthless piece of—"

Before Ozai could finish, his pupils narrowed to tiny dots. His breathing quickened as he stumbled backwards, crashing to the ground right on top of the tea set. Zuko fell back down hard on his knees before looking up. One of the masked women was down; the other was fighting the hooded figure, a young man by the sound of his grunting. She jabbed him in several places along his back. As he fell in a heap to the earth, Zuko was finally able to move his limbs.

The Kemurikage's mask turned to face him, pausing before rushing over. Confused, he stood quickly and moved into a defensive position. She stopped suddenly, pulling off the hood with one hand and the mask with the other.

Warm green eyes met his. "Zuko…it's me."

"Su—Suki? How are you—I thought you were—" Zuko tried to walk forward but wound up tumbling into her as the room grew blurry. She caught his arms and lowered him to his knees.

"Hold on—the drug is still in your system. Just wait a minute while I restrain them—" She stopped abruptly, reaching towards his face. "Zuko, are you okay?" With her thumb, she wiped something wet from his cheek. He hadn't even realized he was crying. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him sooner. I had to wait until the bars were bent away so I could get you out and—"

"Suki, it's okay. That's not why I'm…I just thought that—" He sighed, reaching up to pull her hand down. "Look. No more almost dying on me, okay?"

Suki grinned. "Is that an order?" she asked.

He groaned. "You wouldn't listen even if it was," he admitted, shaking his head. She laughed lightly before standing and quickly pulling the Kemurikage robes over her head. She began tearing off long black and violet strips from the disguise, fastening together the wrists and feet of her victims. Her armor and outer robes were absent; she wore a white, sleeveless undershirt and the long, dark green skirt of the inner kimono over it, secured high on her waist.

Zuko realized he was staring, and looked quickly at his lap, trying to focus on clearing the drug from his mind. He examined the metal cuffs on his wrists and ankles. They had no key holes, and were perfectly smooth all the way around. _That man had been…metalbending,_ Zuko realized. He made a mental note to contact Toph—if they ever made it back to the palace.

After a few minutes, he grabbed one of the bent prison bars and pulled himself up again as Suki finished tying up his father. Standing up, she continued to stare down at Ozai's unconscious body. He'd never seen such a dark look on her face.

"You okay?"

She continued to glare at Ozai, eyes narrowing as she gripped her sheathed sword tightly. "Sometimes I just wonder…" she said slowly. "Did Aang…make the wrong choice?"

Zuko didn't have to ask what she meant. He walked over slowly and stopped beside her, staring down at his father. "I…may never have found my mom without him," he confessed.

Her head snapped up at him, eyes quivering. "I'm sorry…you're right." She looked back down, hand trembling on the hilt, eyes burning.

Zuko touched his jaw where Ozai had hit him, flinching. It really was unnerving how the man had managed to escape prison and do so much damage so quickly. Taking his bending away didn't truly take away his power, it seemed.

"Come on. We should get out of here," he said.

Suki looked over at his chest, eyes unfocused, and nodded. The hooded man in the corner began to groan. She quickly reached into the discarded Kemurikage robes and pulled out a dart, sticking it into his arm. "Forgot to dart that one after I chi-blocked him."

In the meantime, Zuko made his way slowly towards the door. "Okay, I can walk now. I think."

"My, how the tables I have turned," she teased.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning.

Suki chuckled, but stopped suddenly, her face growing serious as she put a finger up to her mouth. Zuko listened carefully, and heard heavy footfalls echoing off the cavern walls. She ran towards him, grabbing his hand and dragging him out the doorway.

They moved quickly through the roughly-carved tunnels. There were torches in the walls every so often, but these ended as she pulled him around a corner and down a narrow, winding slope. Zuko bent a palm full of fire, trying to match her pace. His legs were terribly stiff.

"How long was I out?" he asked quietly.

"About two days."

"Two days?!" he gasped, nearly tripping. As if suddenly aware of the injustice, his stomach began to rumble.

A steep incline appeared off to the right of the path, and he thought he could hear a distant roar. They soon approached a tall, flat wall of stone.

"A dead end?" Zuko whispered.

Suki shook her head and lead them around a massive stalagmite, revealing a narrow gap in the rock face. She gripped his hand tightly as they slipped sideways through the crack. He let the flame flicker out as she guided him through the darkness, trying not to think about how soft her hand was in his.

The roaring sound grew louder as they made their way to the other side. Squeezing his way out of the gap, he lit another fire and looked over the rock edge to the darkness below them.

"It's an underground river," Suki explained. "I think there's a waterfall down there."

They moved together down a zig-zagging path, the roaring noise being replaced by the sound of slow moving waters echoing off the cave walls as the river came into view.

"Okay, we can stop here," she said breathlessly.

Curious for a look, Zuko shot out several blasts of fire over the water.

"I've got to fill you in so we can…" she continued, but stopped as the fire illuminated the dark waters and cast shadows off the sundry rock formations surrounding them. Several stones glittered as the flames passed by them, sending thousands of light beams scattering off the water's surface.

"…Wow," Zuko said quietly as the flames died out.

"That was…beautiful," he heard her whisper. He sent out several more flames and they watched again, silent, holding their breath until the fire flickered away.

Their hands were still clasped together in the darkness. Zuko knew they no longer needed to be, but he didn't want to let go. She wasn't pulling away either.

 _Maybe I'm misreading this…_ he thought. Feeling the blood rush to his cheeks, he took a chance and slowly interlocked his fingers with hers.

Suki squeezed back gently, moving closer.

 _Nope. Definitely not misreading this,_ he realized, heart racing. He lit a small fire in his other hand and turned to face her, moving in close.

"Zuko, I…" Suki began. She stared up at him, lips parted.

He leaned in, kissing her softly.

Moments later, he forced himself to pull away. Suki's eyes were dancing in the firelight, the gentle rush of the river dampening the sounds of the crackling fire and their shallow breaths.

Her lips brushed against his ear. "I'm mad at you, you know. You shouldn't have handed yourself over for me."

"You shouldn't have to be here protecting me in the first place," he whispered back.

She brought her free hand up to rest against his chest. "…I'm glad I am, though."

He let the fire flicker out, reaching into her hair and pressing his lips against hers a second time.


	15. Chapter 15

"Oooh man! Sokka is going to _kill_ you!"

Suki froze, gripping Zuko's shirt tightly. She felt his arms stiffen in their embrace before pulling away quickly, shooting a large blast of fire towards the source of the voice. Someone a good distance away bent up a flat wall of rock as a shield against the flames. As the glowing earth sank back into the ground, they saw a pale girl standing there, dark hair hanging in her eyes.

"Toph?!" Suki exclaimed.

"Great Agni, Toph!" Zuko yelled over the sound of rushing waters. "H-haven't you learned not to sneak up on me like that?!"

"Ha ha! That's why I'm way over here, lover boy!" She threw her arms out and flew towards them on a small mound of earth.

Suki felt the blush crawling up her cheeks and across her nose. Zuko growled under his breath before lighting another fire in his hand. "Look, Suki's not…I mean, we were just…" He bit his lip and looked over at her.

 _He's trying to keep the secret about my family,_ Suki realized. _He knows that's why Sokka and I broke up, why I didn't say anything for so long_. She looked at him gratefully, before turning towards Toph.

"Sokka and I aren't together anymore," she said firmly.

Toph looked surprised. "Oh," she said, a small blush creeping across her cheeks. "Well…he'll still want to kill you, Zuko. Good for you, the guy's a pushover."

Zuko opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it again, brows furrowing.

Equally curious as she was desperate to change the subject, Suki asked, "Toph…what in the world are you doing here?"

The girl turned serious. "I'm on a…man hunt, I guess you could say."

"For who?" Suki asked.

The earthbender wrinkled her brow. "One of my lily liv—I mean, students. He's been missing for about a week. Got that lady with the shirshu to track him here…" She stared off to Zuko's right, pointing at his chest. He looked startled. "So, what are you up to, Fire Lord? Why are you hiring earthbenders to build an underground prison?"

Zuko's right eye widened. "This place was built by earthbenders?!"

"Well, yeah. Not where we're at right now, but nearby is a series of tunnels that was definitely the work of some amateur benders. Pretty shoddy job—the badgermoles do nicer work."

"Zuko didn't do this, Toph," Suki said quickly. "And, well…I'm pretty sure your student is working for Ozai."

"What?!" Toph exclaimed, flinging her hands to her head. " _Ozai?!_ Zuko, can't you keep a grip on this place for more than five minutes?"

"Hey!"

"Toph!" Suki interjected. "It's a long story…but right now, we're trying to figure out a way out of here."

"Ooooh, so _that's_ what you guys were doing?" Toph asked, grinning again.

Zuko groaned, sitting down on the ground. "You're loving this, aren't you."

"Yes."

Suki sat down a few feet away from him. He looked over at her, giving her a sheepish grin. She bit her lip and looked into her lap, smiling.

Unaware of their exchange, Toph continued. "And what's up with the fancy bangles?"

Zuko seemed to fall out of a trance as he slowly looked down at the cuffs. He held his arms and feet out towards Toph, head bowed. "Help…please."

Toph snapped her wrists and the four cuffs broke apart. Zuko rubbed his ankles as she plopped down across from them. "Seriously, what happened to you guys? I need the deets."

Zuko looked towards Suki, expectant.

She filled Toph in on the attack in Harbor City, and had just recounted her fight in the factory when Zuko interrupted. "They don't have faces?!" He had inched his way closer to her as she talked, and was now sitting cross-legged to her right, a hand full of fire resting on his knee.

"At least not visibly."

"Well in that case, what's the big deal?" Toph said, smirking.

"Koh must have done it," Zuko said seriously. Suki looked over at Toph, who seemed equally confused. Zuko continued, "Koh, the Facestealer. He's a spirit that Aang met at the North Pole when I, uh…well, apparently, Koh steals your face if you show _any_ emotion at all."

Suki grimaced. "That's terrifying."

"No kidding," Zuko replied. "We actually met Koh's mother in Hira'a. She was the spirit I told you about, the one who gave a new face to…my mom…"

"Oooh the giant lady with the wolf?" Toph asked. "Sokka told me about—oh, sorry."

Suki didn't hear her. She was looking at Zuko, his face suddenly plastered with fear.

"It's been two days…my mom…what if she's…" He stood up quickly, shaking. "We've got to get back. Now."

"What? Now? I've still got to grab my idiot student," Toph countered. "And you don't seem too sturdy on your feet, Fire Lord."

"Doesn't matter."

Toph blew the hair out of her face. "Fine."

The ground beneath them shifted and suddenly they were shooting on a rock platform into the air towards the stalactites above them.

"Toph…T-Toph!" Suki cried out. Zuko crouched down, grabbing Suki's arms to keep his balance. His face was white as a sheet.

Toph grinned evilly as the distance closed between them and the sharp rocks above. Her two passengers stared at her, wide-eyed, mouths open in horror.

"TOPH!" Zuko screamed.

Inches away, Toph jerked one arm and the earth above them split apart, a wide tunnel carving its way towards the surface. They flew through the space, Toph laughing the entire way.

"That was payback for burning my feet, Fire Lord!" she grinned.

"What? You're still hung up on—"

"And for the crummy field trip!"

Zuko's face was beet red. "Toph! This really isn't the time for—"

Before he could finish, they emerged in a patch of farmland. Suki and Zuko crawled off the platform of earth, legs quaking, before Toph resealed the hole in the ground.

"All right, you lovebirds ready? I can plow our way back to the palace in no time."

Zuko looked at the mess of earth behind them, a good swath of crops uprooted by Toph's tunnel. "No, we can't just tear our way across the countryside to get back," he directed. "It's hard enough for our farmers to grow anything in this soil as it is."

"Hmph. You're no fun," Toph replied. "I might as well head back down if you don't need my help."

"No, I don't think that's wise," Suki said. "After we make sure…well, once we're back we should regroup with Aang and the others and make a plan to infiltrate that hideout together."

"What?! Everybody's here and you didn't invite _me,_ Zuko?" Toph pouted, a hand over her heart as she feigned betrayal.

Zuko ignored her, looking distracted as they wound their way through the tall green stalks, the early morning light glowing along the eastern horizon. _We must be on the opposite side of the capital,_ Suki realized. She'd never gone this far west of the palace. As they emerged from the field and climbed up to an elevated dirt road, she could make out several miles of green farmland spreading from the base of the caldera towards the hills behind them. She could even see the dark jagged tips of the larger mountains further west.

 _I bet the sunrises are beautiful here…_

"Hmm?" Zuko said, turning towards her as they jogged along the road.

 _Did I say that out loud?_ she thought. "Sorry. It's nothing."

He looked out across the field. "They are," he said quietly. He was silent for a minute before speaking again. "I wasn't supposed to leave the palace growing up, but my mother took me out here one morning when Father and Azula were training…" He smiled sadly as he paused to catch his breath. "It's one of my favorite memories, actually."

She picked up her pace, running alongside him. Toph was way ahead of them both; Suki's foot and Zuko's stiff legs were really slowing them down. Suki wanted so badly to tell him that Ursa would be okay…but as much as she hated it, she knew it might be a lie.

She chewed her lip as they continued down the path, light slowly creeping over the caldera's ridge. She thought back on what had happened not an hour ago. _Was that real?_ she thought. She felt her cheeks coloring again. The way he'd kissed her, held her…it was like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.

"Suki."

She looked over at him. "About earlier," he started, scratching the back of his neck, his cheek pink. "Sorry, we didn't really get to talk—"

"It's okay," she said quickly, flushing. "Th-there's a lot going on. Let's just make sure that...that things are good back home, first."

For some reason, the corner of his mouth tugged up at that, but he only nodded. A booming roar sounded and Zuko turned back towards the road ahead of them. She followed his gaze and watched as suddenly, Toph launched herself straight up into the air on a long column of earth. Their heads followed her as she arched across the sky and onto—

"Appa!" Suki cried out. The beast bellowed in response as he landed on the path before them. Ty Lee jumped out of the saddle and ran straight into Suki and Zuko, nearly knocking them over.

"You're okay, you're okay!" she sobbed, squeezing them tight. Suki cringed at the embrace, her burn throbbing against the pressure.

"Ty Lee, hold up!" Zuko said, prying the girl off of them. "Suki's hurt!"

Ty Lee backed away, biting her lip. "Oh no, I'm sorry! What happened? Are you okay?! Ugh, the one time we didn't bring Katara!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine! I've made it two days. I can wait a little longer," Suki replied. She looked up at the saddle. Sokka had Toph in a bear hug, ruffling her hair while she grimaced against his chest.

"Toph! Are you shrinking?!"

"You're just growing like a camelephant, you blockhead!" Toph yelled at him. "Geez, it's only been a few weeks anyway," she said, flushing brightly as she pushed him away.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, Suki turned to see Zuko staring at Ty Lee, his hands trembling as they gripped her shoulders. "Ty Lee. My mother…is she…"

"She's…well, she's the same as when you left," Ty Lee answered quietly, bowing her head.

Zuko's hands slid off the girl's shoulders and fell to his sides. He nodded, looking half pacified, half disappointed.

"Well, I should say…Katara thinks she's unconscious because she's in the Spirit World," Ty Lee continued. "And Aang has been there trying to find her for the last couple days. That's why Katara—"

"Wait, the…what? Spirit World? Aang…?" Zuko stuttered incoherently.

"Yeah, he's been gone as long as you guys," Sokka said, suddenly standing behind them. Suki rubbed her arms nervously as lingering embarrassment and hurt burned in her stomach. Staring at her feet, she didn't notice how Zuko's eyes narrowed at Sokka.

"Come on, slow pokes! Let's _go!_ " Toph called out. Ty Lee took off with a running start, flipping up and into the saddle as Sokka climbed up Appa's head. As she dragged herself up the bison's furry side, Suki felt warm fingertips brush against her arm. Zuko was looking at her, brow furrowed. His eyes shot over in Sokka's direction then back to her.

 _"You okay?"_ he mouthed.

She nodded quickly, forcing a smile. Zuko didn't look convinced, but he pulled away as they climbed over the edge of the saddle.

* * *

"Noren."

 _Could it be?_ Noren sat up quickly and looked over at the bed. Ursa was sitting up, her legs hanging over the edge as her hand reached towards him. He rushed to her side.

"Oh, Ursa. You're back…you're back," he whispered, holding her close. After several moments he pulled back and kissed her passionately.

"Eeew! Daddy stop!"

The two of them turned to see Kiyi sitting up, her ponytail lopsided as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. They laughed at her as she crawled across the bed towards them.

"Mommy? Is it you?"

His wife teared up. Kiyi hadn't called her that since she had her original face returned to her. Ursa reached out and embraced their daughter tightly. "It is, Kiyi. It's me."

Just then, the door to the room flew open. A ruffled young man resembling the Fire Lord marched in. His hair was down, tangled strands hanging down his forehead and neck. A dark shadow of stubble spread across his jaw and his clothes were covered in dirt.

"Zuko?!" Noren exclaimed.

"Mom!" Zuko cried out, running towards them. He sat down on the bed, quickly wrapping his arms around her. "You're awake! Thank Agni, I was so worried," he murmured into her shoulder.

"What? Who…" Ursa started, gently pulling him off of her.

Zuko looked at her, confused. Noren's advice to the Avatar flashed in his mind.

 _"It may help to ask the Mother of Faces, if you can."_

Noren stiffened. _Oh, no…could she have forgotten—_

Ursa reached out to touch her son's cheek, where a large purple bruise spread across his jawbone. "Who…who did that to you, Zuko?"

Noren blew out an audible sigh of relief.

Zuko touched his face then looked away, chewing his lip. "I…it's nothing. I'll explain everything later once—"

"Zuzu! I missed you! Where'd you go? Mommy was sleeping for so long! Why are you so dirty?" Kiyi jumped over onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Can't—breathe—Kiyi!" he gasped, trying to pull her off him. Noren and Ursa just laughed. He finally gave up and rubbed her head as she clung to him.

Suddenly, a young monk popped up from behind the baseboard of the bed.

"Aang?! Where did you come from?" Zuko exclaimed.

"He's been there this whole time," Noren said casually.

"I just got back! Is Ursa…" Aang came around to them. "You made it! Sorry it took me so long, the Mother of Faces decided to give me a lecture before she let me leave…"

Ursa reached out for Aang's hand. "Thank you, Aang. I wouldn't have made it back without you."

Aang blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "Nah, I didn't really do anything. You worked it out on your own in the end."

Ursa shook her head. "No, Aang. You found me, and helped me understand what was preventing me from coming back."

"So you did it? You cleared your chakra?" Aang asked excitedly.

Ursa smiled. "Maybe so."

Noren looked between the two of them. "Umm, what happened, exactly?"

Ursa sighed. "I was overcome with anxiety, with this terrible, unexplainable fear of Ozai," Ursa explained. "He'd taken you, my children, and my choices away from me. I'd never been able to fully recover from it…" Noren grabbed her hands. She'd told him enough in the past that he knew she was leaving out the more painful details. "The Mother of Faces told me that I had to overcome this fear or I couldn't return to the Mortal World. The only other option was to let her erase my memories again…to forget Zuko and Azula again…"

She looked over at Zuko, whose eyes were quivering. "Mom…"

"I realized I couldn't let Ozai take you away from me again. Knowing that overcoming my fear was the only way to be with you gave me the courage I needed to come back. I—I couldn't, wouldn't abandon you again, my love."

Zuko looked down at his lap, biting his lip as his eyes watered. Ursa wrapped her arms around him and Kiyi.

Noren glanced over at the Avatar; he stood still, his gaze fixed on the scene as though he'd never seen anything like it. He seemed to be longing for something, but soon came to himself and slipped silently from the room.


	16. Chapter 16

"I wish I could've worked on this sooner!" Katara whimpered.

"Mmhmm," Suki mumbled in reply, the cool water a welcome, long-awaited relief. She was lying on her stomach on a cot in the healing ward, eyes closed as Katara ran her glowing hands along her upper back and neck.

Suddenly, Suki heard the door bang open and, moments later, the curtain around the station clink apart as someone entered.

"Suki! She's awake! She's okay!" Zuko exclaimed, plopping himself down in a chair beside the bed.

"That's so wonderful, Zuko," Suki replied softly.

"Well, hello to you too!" Katara said, scowling. "And spirits, Zuko, you need to get out of here! Isn't there such a thing as _privacy_ in the Fire Nation?"

Zuko seemed suddenly aware that Suki's shirt was pulled half-way down her back as she smiled warmly up at him.

"Oh! S-sorry!" He stuttered, blushing furiously as he stumbled back into the metal curtain frame, nearly tipping the entire thing over on his way out.

"What in the world is up with him?" Katara exclaimed. "And he looks _terrible_!"

Suki just smiled to herself, closing her eyes again just as the curtains clanked open once more.

"SOKKA?!" Katara yelled. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

Suki felt herself suddenly break out in a sweat.

"Sorry! Aang wanted to see you! He's out on the balcony just down the hall…" Sokka replied. Katara continued to glare at him. "Okay, okay I'm leaving! _Sheesh_! Just trying to do someone a _favor_ …"

* * *

"Aang? What's up, sweetie?"

Aang rolled his staff back and forth between his fingers, his back to her. "I'm sorry to ask…you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…"

Katara walked across the balcony, leaning against the ledge beside him. "What is it? You can ask me anything, you know that."

He stared across the rooftops below, his eyes unfocused. "What's it like…to have a mom?"

Katara's heart skipped a beat, a flood of memories washing over her. She tried to speak, but she couldn't swallow the lump in her throat.

"Seeing Zuko with his mom…it's like I'm finally realizing I never had that, I never will," he continued, gazing out over the Fire Nation capital. "It's never bothered me before. I mean, I never knew my mom, so I couldn't miss her, you know?"

Katara held his hand, though he still didn't make eye contact with her.

"Now, out of the blue, I'm upset about it. I'm suddenly angry at people from a century ago who thought they had the right to take me away from her," he spat, his voice growing louder with every word. He finally looked at her, his grey eyes moist. "I mean, I never knew her. She died a hundred years ago. I shouldn't care…" he choked out.

"Aang, of _course_ you should care. She was your mom," Katara said softly. It felt like her heart would break at any moment.

Aang looked back at the horizon and sighed deeply. "I love being an air nomad. I love my culture, and I want more than anything to bring it back. But…" He grimaced. "Is it wrong to question some things about it?"

"No, it isn't," Katara said firmly. "Back in the North Pole—do you think it was wrong for me to stand up for my right to fight alongside the men? I believe I can love the Water Tribe while still resisting the misogyny engrained in our nation." She tried to calm herself before continuing. "I think many traditions are wonderful and good, but we can't turn a blind eye to those that cause harm."

A small smile flickered across Aang's face. He turned towards her and kissed her sweetly for a long moment before pulling away. "You always know what to say. Thanks, Katara."

* * *

Mai jolted awake to the sound of light footfalls echoing off the earthen walls. She cursed as she stood quickly, holding her breath as the steps grew louder and a small light became visible from further down the tunnel. With nowhere to hide, Mai stepped into the center of the path and pulled out several knives, bracing herself for a fight.

She could soon discern a thin figure stumbling towards her, tangled dark hair obscuring her face. One arm held out a palm full of fire while she supported herself against the wall with the other. As she approached, the girl dragged the shoulder-length locks across her face and behind an ear.

Mai gasped. There _was_ no face, just a tan swath of skin.

The girl stopped several paces away, the fire in her palm shaking as she took a couple steps back. One arm was wrapped tightly around her stomach, and she wore nothing but a thin black undershirt and cropped pants.

"What are… _who_ are you?" Mai asked, her voice weaker than usual.

She heard a gasp echo off the earth walls. "I…I don't want to hurt you…" a young voice cried out. "Please, just leave me alone!" The fire in the girl's palm began pulse, growing larger each time her chest fell.

"Okay, look, just calm down for a moment," Mai stated, trying to gauge the situation and not think too hard about what she was seeing. "If someone has…hurt you, I can help. But I need to ask what you know about the New Ozai Society, first. Where does this tunnel—"

Mai ducked as a ball of fire soared over her head. Cursing, she threw four knives at the girl, pinning her shirt and pants to the cavern wall. Her attacker screamed, blasting fire in random directions as she yanked against the knives.

"Stop struggling, or I'll pin your bare flesh down next," Mai said loudly, coldly. The girl froze, the fires fading to blackness.

"I'll ask you again," Mai said harshly, her patience waning. "What do you know about the New Ozai Society?"

Silence.

"Tell me _now!_ " Mai shouted.

She heard quiet sobs. "I _can't!_ " a small voice cried out. "He'll…he'll kill them!"

"What? Who are you talking about?"

"…My family. H-he said he'd have them killed them if I said anything."

Mai felt a darkness grip her chest as the sobs continued. Her father's words resonated in her mind.

 _"Mai…sometimes you have to take extreme measures…"_

She felt sick to her stomach. "What's your name?" she asked quietly.

"…Aki," the voice replied between sobs.

"I'm Mai. How old are you, Aki?"

"Thirteen." The girl went quiet before continuing. "Please _…please_ let me go. If I don't find a way back soon…he might hurt them…he might have already…"

Mai felt bad, but she couldn't abandon Kei Lo now. "Look, I can't do that, not unless you help me. They have someone I care about too. But—" she paused, thinking her next words over carefully. "I do know someone who can protect your family."

"You do?" the girl asked, holding out a small flame. With the other hand she pulled her hair down so it covered her blank face. "Who is it?"

Mai blew her bangs up in irritation. "My ex."

* * *

Zuko sat in the healing ward as Katara worked on the bruise and various cuts all over his face. It was because of latter that he'd foregone a shave, though he was otherwise cleaned up.

"Geez, you look old with that stubble."

"I can't help it! It would hurt too much to—"

"Zuko, I'm just teasing," Katara said, smiling. "You know, you did a really good job treating Suki's burn. Without you, it would've scarred a lot worse."

If she was trying to cheer him up, it did the opposite. "It's going to scar, then?"

"Yes. Not as bad as yours or Aang's, though. It was clearly a much less powerful strike than Azula's usually are."

"…It wasn't Azula who attacked her," Zuko said quietly.

Katara blanched. "What? Then who…"

"I don't know all the details yet. I was pretty much out for the past two days; it's Suki who knows everything. I'm holding a meeting with everyone once we're done here so we can all get filled in on what's going on." He looked at her guiltily. "You and Sokka don't have to stay, though. I know you guys want to get home to your dad…we've made you late enough as it is."

Katara sighed. "Yeah, you have," she said, though she smiled. "We'll hang around for the meeting, at least. You'll probably want the 'idea guy' there anyway."

At the mention of Sokka, an image of Suki, arms around her knees, tears staining her kimono, flashed in his mind.

 _"I couldn't do it, Zuko. I couldn't stay with someone who felt disgusted by part of who I am…"_

Zuko felt his chest burn. Suki might not blame Sokka for his feelings about her, but that didn't mean he was okay with how much the guy had hurt her.

"Anything else?" Katara asked as she finished up.

"Umm…oh, yeah," he said, pulling down his sleeves to reveal two scabbed-over wrists.

Katara sighed, though her brow creased with worry as she changed the bright, rough skin to smooth pink.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Aang, you guys could make a 'struck by lightning' club. You'd already have three members to start out!" Sokka said, his arms animated.

"That's morbid, Sokka!" Katara exclaimed.

"You're just jealous 'cause they wouldn't let you join!"

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. It really was morbid, and he was sick of listening to Sokka right now.

"Great to have the old gang back together, huh Fire Lord?" Toph said, elbowing him hard in the arm.

"Yeah…nothing's changed," he mumbled as he rubbed the spot she'd hit him. Just then the door to the council room opened and Suki popped her head inside.

 _Well, maybe some things have changed._

She motioned for him to come out. His heart thumped wildly against his chest as he made his way into the hall.

She stood against the wall, a wooden crutch under her left arm, her foot wrapped in thick layers of white gauze. His mouth dropped open.

"This is just to appease Katara," she said quickly, pulling the crutch out and setting it aside. "She insisted I keep pressure off my foot so it could heal…and she wouldn't let me wear my full uniform since the burn needs to air out." She tugged at her loose shirt, wet hair sticking to her neck and unpainted face. "Sorry, I probably look really unprofessional—"

He stepped closer and pulled a piece of damp hair out of her eyes. "You look," _beautiful,_ he thought. "R-really nice, actually."

Suki blushed. Zuko noticed a few bright red, curling marks peeking out of her collar. He frowned as the guilt tugged against his chest. "I—I'm so sorry. Katara told me it will scar…"

Her eyes softened as she looked up at him. "Scars don't matter to me, Zuko."

He felt his pulse quicken at the implication. Agni, he wanted to hold her, but as he reached forward several servants clambered around the corner. He dropped his arms as they made their way past them, but held Suki's gaze. She looked away shyly as the last footsteps faded away, her fingers twisting a wet strand of hair.

"I didn't mean to—" she started. "Sorry. It's just, before the meeting starts I need to tell you about something I found out underground. Something you might not want everyone to hear."

"Oh," Zuko said. "Okay, sure."

"The Kemurikage—they're three girls: two my age, twins, and the other a few years younger."

"Wait, they're that young? Who are they?"

"They're..." Suki started, her brows furrowed. "Well, they're technically…your sisters."


	17. Chapter 17

Teja ran through the dark tunnels, panting hard. _Is it true? Is Ozai back?_ He'd been gone for two days, and the moment she stepped away from Suki was, of course, the time he'd decided to return. _Did our plan work without me? Did she make it?_

She skidded to a stop in front of Zuko's cell. One glance inside was all she needed to answer her question. Three bodies lay crumpled on the floor. She could care less about the men; instead she crouched by her twin sister's sleeping form and shook her shoulders.

"Chou! Chou, wake up!" The faceless girl didn't respond.

 _I must have only missed them by minutes,_ Teja realized. Suki had agreed to give Chou just enough of the drug to knock her out for a short time.

Seeing her sister like this made Teja feel guilty for not including her in the plan. But she knew that even if it was their only chance to get out of this, Chou would never have gone along with it.

 _"There's nothing we can do. Do you want him to kill Mom and Dad? To kill Amal?"_

Chou's constant reminder had kept her obedient to Ozai's will for all this time, had pushed her to kill those men in Harbor City. Teja squeezed her eyes shut, holding in the tears as the nausea washed over her. Soon, an unpleasant memory flooded her mind…

 _"Are they benders?"_

 _Her mother trembled visibly, gripping Teja's small hand tightly. "Y-yes, Fire Lord Ozai. Both of them."_

 _"Good. Otherwise, I'd have to kill them," he said casually. Her mother ducked down, pulling Teja into a protective embrace._

 _Teja's father came down the stairs then, carrying Chou in his arms. He stopped on the last step and stared, horrorstruck, at the stranger in the doorway. He pressed Chou against his chest, a look of agony sweeping over his face._

 _"I'll be training them personally twice a year from here on out," Ozai continued. "I expect you, Bhanu, to provide them with rigorous training in between."_

 _"Y-yes, Fire Lord," her father replied stiffly, glaring at his feet, his arms wrapped tightly around Chou's small body._

 _Ozai walked towards the man, snarling. "Don't forget who these two really belong to. They were never yours to begin with." He glanced over at their mother's bulging stomach. "Though you've got one of your own on the way, it seems."_

Teja tried to shake the memory away. She had never understood why Ozai felt the need to have more children, or to train them so intensely for all those years. Did he want to ensure he would never run out of worthy heirs? Or did he simply want human weapons at his disposal? It had never made sense—the most powerful man in the nation, with every Fire Nation soldier and specialist team at his disposal, to worry about such a thing. Though since the Avatar had defeated him…perhaps it was a wise precaution after all. Chou, Aki, and herself—he'd certainly never have made it this far without them. The thought made her cringe. _Not anymore. I can't be his weapon anymore!_

"Teja, what…?" Chou mumbled, shifting against the floor.

"Chou! Good, you're awake," Teja whispered, glancing back at Ozai and the metalbender behind them.

"Aki…she…" Chou shook her head. "No, it couldn't have been Aki…"

Teja grimaced. "No…no, it wasn't," she replied, the guilt sweeping over her.

Chou grabbed her arm, her nails digging into her skin through the sleeve. " _What…_ did you _do?_ " She knew Chou well enough to know what kind of look _would_ have been on her face if she'd still had one.

Teja took a deep breath and plunged straight in. "Okay, look. It was Suki, Zuko's bodyguard, the one we fought in Harbor City. She's going to help us. I told her where our and Aki's families are. She promised Zuko could protect them—"

"Are you kidding me, Teja?!" Chou nearly shouted. "Why would he care about us? Even if he did, we attacked him…if anything, he might try to punish them!"

"No, Suki promised me they'd be taken care of. She told me Zuko would want to protect them. She was sincere, I could tell—"

"She just wanted a way to get him out!" Chou's voice suddenly grew quiet and shaky. "She doesn't care about us. How you could trust something so important to a stranger? What about our families, what about Aki—"

Teja grabbed her sister's shoulders tightly. "Do you think they'd want us killing dozens of people for them?! Do you _want_ to live out the rest of your life this way?" she asked through gritted teeth, fighting against the urge to scream. She released her, sitting back on her heels and looking away. "There's no going back now, anyway. Ozai's bound to try to kill us…or worse…when he wakes up. I'd rather get out of here now and not have to fight off a hundred Society members, wouldn't you?"

Chou was silent for a minute. Then she gave one quick nod, her long hair falling across her smooth face. For the first time in many years, Teja thought she felt a sliver of hope creep into her heart.

* * *

"That _bast_ —" Zuko started before biting his lip hard. He stepped back and leaned against the door, a hand pressed against his temple.

"I'm so sorry, this probably wasn't the best time to tell you," Suki lamented. "I just didn't know how else to explain why their families are in danger—"

Zuko dropped his hand and pushed himself away from the door quickly. He stared grimly at the opposite wall. "I need to send some guards out to bring their families here and set up their security." He turned back towards her. "Can you fill everyone else in on what you've told me in the meantime?"

"Of course."

"Except, maybe you should leave out that they're my father's children…" he spoke quietly. "We should protect their privacy as much as possible."

"I definitely agree."

He looked at her for a long moment, then he took off down the hall, cape whipping against his back.

Suki watched as he rounded the corner before turning to grab the door handle. She gripped it tightly, hesitating, wishing she didn't have to go in alone. _Don't make it awkward, you're going to have to face Sokka at some point. It isn't his fault...he didn't mean to hurt you, and now Zu—_

"May I get that for you, Suki?"

She turned around quickly. "Iroh!" she exclaimed, smiling widely. "It's so good to see you! When did you…how are you here?"

He laughed, then placed a gentle hand on her arm. "It's wonderful to see you again too, my dear. I've missed our delightful conversations."

Suki recalled the time Iroh spent as interim Fire Lord fondly. He'd probably forced several hundred cups of tea on her during those few weeks, and she'd come to understand why Zuko loved the man so much.

"Osamu sent for me," Iroh explained. "He's a member of the White Lotus, and we are old friends."

 _Oh yes, the head healer._ Suki recalled the white lotus necklace she'd seen the man wearing.

"When Lady Ursa fell ill, he thought I should be here for Zuko in case—" he stopped. "Well, I'm relieved to find her recovered. Though it seems the problems continue to pile up for my nephew… How is he, by the way?"

Suki felt herself flush. Iroh looked curious. "He's—um, well, you just missed him, actually." She pursed her lips before continuing softly. "He's been through a lot lately, to be honest. I'm glad you're here, Iroh."

He looked at her knowingly, a small smile on his lips, then pulled her free arm through his and pushed open the door.

* * *

When Zuko entered the council room, his friends no longer surrounded the long meeting table, but a massive earthen sculpture emerging from a hole in the floor. Dirt and dust covered the room, and a surprisingly neat pile of the missing floor tiles was stacked against the wall.

"Wha…wha… _what_ …" he began, mouth hanging open, but stopped as a bearded man poked his head around the far side of the strange carving.

"Uncle!" Zuko cried, forgetting the chaos before him and running around to embrace the man.

Iroh hugged him tightly. "My nephew, I am so glad to see you are well. Suki's report has left me very uneasy…"

Zuko pulled back, his face falling. "I know. I'm sorry. I—I'm not doing a very good job as Fire Lord…"

Iroh squeezed his shoulders. "Zuko, the evils of three generations before you will take _time_ to heal. You are doing more good here than you know, and I am very proud of you."

"Th-thank you, Uncle. I'm so glad you're here," he said sincerely. He turned towards the others and saw Suki leaning on her crutch, smiling at them. He moved towards her and took a closer look at the sculpture. In the earth was carved a series of miniature tunnels, cut away in places so that an observer could see the layout of the paths. It was like a giant, three-dimensional map. He saw Sokka studying one section intently while Aang observed how Toph carved out several more detailed sections with care.

"Is this…the underground prison?"

"Yep! Between the two of us, Toph and I think we've got the basic layout down," Suki replied brightly, before suddenly holding her hands up in front of her. "Bu-bu-but I didn't support tearing out the floor! She had already started by the time I came in, I swear."

"Oh, _sure._ "

Suki stared at him, mouth hanging open. It was so cute, he couldn't help but laugh. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

 _"What?"_ he asked them.

Aang stared at him, eyes wide. "We've just...never heard you laugh, Zuko."

"Yeah, it's _weird_ ," Sokka said. Toph snickered.

"Well, I think it's wonderful!" Katara countered, hands on her hips as she glared at Sokka.

 _Why doesn't anyone think I can laugh?!_ Zuko thought, scowling.

"Phew, he's back," Sokka exhaled, wiping his brow. Resisting the urge to strangle him, Zuko looked back at Suki. She half-smiled, half-grimaced at him.

"Well, _anyway,_ I'm glad you're all here," Zuko said shortly, before biting his lip. "Really, I'm very grateful to you all. There's several things we need to discuss before—"

At that moment, the council room door opened as one of the commanders over the capital prison entered, bowing as she knelt on one knee before him.

"What word from the prison, Commander Ming?" Zuko asked quickly.

The woman looked around at the others, hesitating.

"It's all right, please speak freely."

She looked nervous. "After a close investigation of Ozai's cell, we found an earthbent tunnel beneath the stone floor. In hindsight, we shouldn't have kept him on the ground floor…I just never thought of the possibility that…" she said, flinching. "I-I'm so sorry we've failed you, Fire Lord."

"At ease, Commander. Please just focus on tightening security for the rest of the prisoners and relocating everyone to the tower."

"Yes, of course, Fire Lord."

As the door shut behind her, Zuko dropped his head in one hand. _I shouldn't have ignored him for so long. If I'd visited more often…maybe I could have stopped this sooner._ He sighed, pulling himself to his full height and addressing the others. "We need to make a plan quickly to deal the New Ozai Society. My father has been drugged now for, um…"

"Nearly three hours," Suki finished for him. "The dose I gave him should last another couple, hopefully."

"Even if he's out, would that stop the rest of them from leaving before we can get there?" Aang asked. "They evacuated that bunker within hours the other night."

"Then we need to determine which of these tunnels they'll be evacuating _from_ ," Sokka reasoned. He walked around Toph's sculpture of the underground tunnels, eyes scanning the layout. "Here." He pointed to one of the wider tunnels that several smaller passageways fed into. "This passage is large enough for a good-sized group to move together in, and it leads towards the ocean where they may have other stolen vessels in place. We should send the majority of your forces to cut them off at the exit."

Zuko nodded, forgetting for the moment his irritation with Sokka. "All right then, we need to move quickly if this is going to—"

Before he could finish, the door creaked open and Jaya popped her head inside. "Fire Lord? Somehow…Lady Mai is in the palace. And is requesting an audience with you."


	18. Chapter 18

"Umm, Fire Lord? What should I tell her?"

Zuko nodded slowly. "Fine. Send her in."

Jaya pushed the door open, and Mai walked a few steps inside. At least, Suki assumed it was Mai. She'd never seen her with so much as a hair out of place, and here she stood before them, her signature buns askew and her robes covered in dirt.

"Geez, and we thought Zuko looked bad when he got back," Sokka muttered to Toph.

Mai gave him a death glare, causing Sokka to turn white as a sheet. She turned towards the door. "Come on, they won't bite."

A tall, thin girl crept inside, wavy strands of dark brown hair falling in front of her bowed head.

"F-Fire Lord?!" a small voice cried out. "I didn't realize we were…Y-you're alive!" The girl fell to her knees, prostrating herself before him.

Zuko stepped back. "Who is this? What's going on?"

Arms crossed, Mai replied without looking at him. "This is Aki. I found her down in Harbor City. Sounds like she's involved with the New Ozai Society."

"Aki…isn't that…" Zuko said quietly, looking over at Suki. She nodded her head at him, eyes furrowed.

Zuko looked around the room. "This meeting is dismissed. Sokka, Katara, are you staying?"

The siblings looked at each other before turning and nodding at Zuko. "No way are we letting that Loser Lord get away," Sokka said, smirking.

"Thank you. Everyone, please go prepare yourselves for the attack. Jaya," he called out, and she poked her head inside. "Go let General Mak know to assemble several specialized teams immediately. We'll be meeting at the front gates in an hour. I'll explain everything then."

"Yes, Fire Lord."

As Suki repositioned her crutch beneath her arm, she felt Zuko grab her wrist. "You can stay," he whispered. They watched as everyone filed out of the room. Everyone except for Mai, who remained in place.

"Lady Mai, you're dismissed," Zuko said coldly.

She looked irritated. "Zuko, please…I need to tell you about—"

"I said leave, Mai. You can wait outside. I'll speak with you in a minute."

Scowling, she stormed towards the door before stopping and looking towards the girl, still kneeling on the ground. "I think Aki's been a victim here, Zuko. You wouldn't…"

"I know," he said quietly. "Don't worry about that."

For a moment, Mai seemed surprised, but quickly narrowed her eyes at him, glancing at his hand on Suki's arm before leaving the room.

Once the door was shut, Zuko addressed the girl. "You're one of the Kemurikage, aren't you."

Aki was bent over on the ground, one arm quaking as it propped her up, the other held tightly around her waist.

"You helped kidnap those children. You killed my men. You attacked my—" he stopped, glancing over at Suki.

"I'm so sorry…I didn't want to," Aki cried out, sobbing. "Please, I don't care if you punish me, Fire Lord. But my family…I did it to protect them. Please, please have mercy on them…they don't know what I've done…"

Zuko crouched down in front of her, sighing. "…I know. I've sent guards to bring them here, where they will be safe from our…from him." Aki looked up towards him, her faceless mask of skin wet with tears that seemed to have no origin. Zuko looked shocked for a moment, but carefully reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're my half-sister, isn't that right?" he asked quietly.

She nodded slowly.

"Then I'll take care of you, no matter what you've done." For a moment, Suki thought she saw Azula sitting before him, not Aki.

Suddenly, they heard ragged sobs coming from the girl. She sat back on her feet, hands covering her invisible mouth. Zuko looked back worriedly at Suki, at a loss for what to do.

She crouched down beside them, setting her crutch aside. "Hey, Aki. My name's Suki. If you're hurt, I can take you over to the healing ward if you'd like."

Aki's arm moved towards her stomach as the sobs faded away, and she nodded.

"I guess this is probably a little awkward, since I think I'm the one that did that," Suki said, biting her lip. To her surprise, she heard a small chuckle. Suki grinned, glancing over at Zuko. He breathed out deeply, looking relieved as they helped pull Aki to her feet.

* * *

"All right Mai, what is it?" Zuko stood several paces away from her, arms crossed, loathing plastered across his face. If there were ever times he resembled his father, now was one of them. The way he was treating her was such a drastic change from several nights ago... _Ugh, he's probably just upset that I rejected him,_ Mai thought, grimacing. She didn't want to deal with him right now, but anxiety for Kei Lo forced her to speak.

"Zuko, please. I wouldn't be here unless I really needed your help. The New Ozai Society…they have Kei Lo. I'm afraid they're going to—"

"Well, that's too bad," he snapped at her. "Maybe you should have thought about that before _lying_ to me about your father's involvement with them!"

Mai stared at him, stunned. "How…I…"

"How long have you known?"

She stayed quiet, guilt burning in her chest. _Months…even before I realized Tom-Tom needed somewhere safe to live, I kept my father's involvement a secret for months._

Zuko swore. "Agni, Mai, why wouldn't you tell me? They attacked my _family._ They've been kidnapping little kids! How could you justify—"

"I didn't know about the kidnappings, not until a couple nights ago," Mai said. It was a weak defense, and she knew it. _Why didn't I say anything for so long? Was it just to protect my father?_ She shook her head silently. _No, it was because he convinced me that Zuko didn't care about the Fire Nation…_ She folded her arms across her chest, still unsure if Ukano was right or not.

Zuko stared at her. Any longing that had been in his eyes the other night was now replaced with disgust. "You realize…this could be considered treason, don't you?"

Mai looked away quickly, eyes stinging.

Zuko sighed. "Probably serves me right. I kept plenty of secrets from you in the past," he admitted quietly. "I don't know why, but we never did learn to trust each other, did we?"

"No…" she confessed. "No…we didn't."

Zuko turned away from her. "The Society…they've freed Ozai from prison," he said blankly. Mai's eyes widened, though she stayed quiet. "We're heading out to launch an attack soon, so we'll make sure to keep an eye out for Kei Lo. And Tom-Tom, of course."

"I'm coming, too."

"No, Mai. Do you really think I can trust you right now?"

"What, are you going to arrest me, then?"

Grumbling, Zuko grabbed a wooden crutch from the floor and brushed past her. "I should," he snarled as he left the room, slamming the door behind him. Mai stood in place, burning with fury. Though, for the first time when it came to Zuko, she was more upset with herself.

* * *

Sokka sat behind a large stone pillar near the palace entrance. He slouched lazily against it, sharpening his boomerang as he listened to Zuko's troops assembling in the courtyard.

"Hiding?" a familiar voice asked. Sokka jumped as Toph plopped herself beside him.

"Oh! Hey, Toph."

"Hey, meathead."

Sokka grinned. "I take that as a compliment, you know. Meat is serious business. In fact, I think I've _almost_ convinced Aang to change his ways—no _way_ will he survive at the South Pole on sea prunes for long!"

Toph laughed loudly. "Wish I could see _that_!"

Sokka felt his stomach turn. "Maybe…I mean, why not take a break and come with us? It'd be like old times!"

Toph looked over towards him, eyes unfocused on his chest. "A freezing tundra where the only earth is buried under a mile of ice? _Tempting._ "

"Oh, yeah." Sokka laughed, though he bit his lip. "…Well, we'll have to write."

"Definitely! Make sure to send me lots of your drawings, too."

"Sure! And I'll—" Sokka started, then frowned. "Spirits. Why do you do that."

"'Cause it never gets old!" Toph laughed, before suddenly growing quiet. "…You really should write, though. I'll just make my lily livers read them to me," she said, ducking her head as she rested her arms atop her knees.

Sokka smiled. "I will."

They sat in silence for a few minutes and listened to the sounds of hurried shouts and clanking armor trickling into the foyer. "So…" she started again. "You and Suki…"

"…Yeah," he replied, bowing his head.

Toph was silent for another minute. Then, "Sorry."

"It's _fine_ ," he said casually. "I'm pretty much over it—"

Toph shook her head, tangling her dark, shaggy bangs. "No. I'm sorry because…I think it was my fault."

Sokka felt his heart speed up. _Could she know?_ "Why would you…think that?" he asked slowly.

She bit her lip. "I—I said something to Suki a while ago. I didn't think much of it at the time, but…" Toph gripped the fabric of her pants tightly, sighing. "When you two came to visit my school several months ago, I noticed you sending off some weird vibrations every time Suki entered the room. Like you were…guilty."

Sokka waited in silence, his heart pounding.

"I thought it was funny; I assumed you'd done some little thing to make her upset or something since otherwise things seemed fine between you two. I mentioned it to her offhandedly, and as soon as I did she seemed really…" Toph paused, turning away from him. "She was upset. I could tell right away, but I couldn't take it back."

Sokka exhaled. _So that's why Suki thought—_

His thoughts stopped as Toph buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Sokka," she mumbled, voice strangely ragged. "I—"

Alarmed, Sokka grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up to face him. "Toph, it's _not_ your fault. I promise. Besides, I think—" He stopped, flushing. "I think…it was for the best."

He caught a small smile flicker across her face. "'Kay. If you say so, meathead."

* * *

Suki leaned against the wall outside the healing ward, giving herself just one minute to rest her eyes before they headed out again. She hadn't told anyone, but she'd barely slept while they were underground. Instead, she had tossed and turned the two nights she spent there as anxiety for Zuko and fear of being discovered built up inside her. Now, the relief of being back was finally manifesting as fatigue, tumbling over her like a cartload of bricks.

She felt someone touch her arm. "Hmm?" she mumbled, cracking an eye open. The setting sun she'd closed her eyes to had dipped below the horizon, bathing the empty hallway with deep shadows.

"Hey," Zuko said, looking down at her, his golden eyes bright in the dimness. He was dressed in his travel clothes, his broadswords visible behind his shoulder. "Sorry, I just…well, we're leaving soon."

Suki gasped. "Oh, spirits! I didn't mean to fall asleep—just need to grab my gear—" she exclaimed, pushing herself away from the wall.

He stopped her, his hands resting on her arms. "That's…not what I meant," he whispered heatedly.

"Oh," Suki breathed, her exhaustion washed away in an instant as his arms wrapped carefully around her. She felt fingertips brush her neck in the darkness, a thumb caress her jaw before warm lips met her own. She hummed in reply, snaking her arms up and over his shoulders.

A few minutes later, he pulled away. "Suki," he said quietly, his breath hot against her mouth. "Once all this is over…want to have dinner with me?"

Suki smiled. "That's probably a good idea."

He chuckled, his chest rumbling against her, and she joined in.

"I have to go…" he whispered reluctantly. "But I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Suki, you're injured, not to mention I found you here asleep on your feet. I don't expect you to come with us tonight."

"I—" She stopped, feeling the exhaustion return. "You know, I'm actually not going to fight you on this one."

Zuko smiled, then reached around her to grab something off the wall—her crutch. "I almost forgot…you left this in the council room."

"Oh, thanks. But I think I'm fine without it."

"I'd take it, if I were you. You _really_ don't want to get on Katara's bad side." His face contorted. "Trust me, it's terrifying."

"Okay, fine!" Suki laughed, taking the crutch from him. She sobered quickly as he stepped away. "Zuko, wait," she called out.

He stopped and looked back at her.

"Just…be careful, okay?"

He grinned. "Don't worry. I'll be back for dinner tomorrow night."

Suki felt her cheeks grow warm.

He'd run halfway down the hall when he called out over his shoulder. "Hope you like komodo chicken!"

* * *

Ozai sat in darkness, waiting for the inevitable. He soon heard them—the clattering legs against the cavern wall.

"Ahh, if it isn't my favorite mortal slave."

Feeling his gut boil, Ozai stared ahead blankly. Not that it mattered anymore. " _What do you want?"_ he said through clenched teeth.

" _Tsk, tsk._ Don't test me, Ozai. My patience won't hold out much longer." A long, worming body flew at him from the shadows, a hideous old man glaring at him. "Or perhaps you've changed your mind? I'd still be _very_ satisfied to add Fire Nation royalty to my collection."

Animosity and injured pride boiled in his stomach, but the fear only this foul creature could invoke pressed him to reply calmly. "No, I haven't."

"Very well." Koh circled him slowly, musing aloud. "I'm getting rather tired of these typical Fire Nation specimen you've given me," he said, his face shifting quickly between Ozai's illegitimate daughters. "I'd really like something a little more… _unique._ "

"I just need a little more time. As soon as I've regained power you will have all the faces you could ever want. Just as we agreed."

"Yes, yes, your offer was a tempting one…but it's taking much longer than I bargained for," Koh said coolly, slowing circling him. "I'm growing impatient, Ozai. You better start thinking hard, or I'll take what's owed me right _now_."

Ozai's hand shot to his face before he could stop it. Cursing, he dug his nails into his cheek.

Suddenly, the perfect idea formed in his mind. "How does something… _exotic_ sound?"


	19. Chapter 19

Together, Zuko and Toph crouched behind a mound of black rock about a mile inland from the sea. Several paces away was the mouth of a cave, taking Toph's word for it. He waited quietly while she felt out the movements beneath them.

"You seem in unusually good spirits," Toph smirked.

Zuko flushed. He'd been thinking about Suki. _I swear this girl reads minds,_ he thought.

"So...how'd things go with the ex?"

His face dropped. "Ugh. I don't want to talk about her."

Toph pulled on his sleeve. "Sorry to tell you—but you might not have a choice," she said, pointing into the darkness. Zuko lit a small flame and saw someone approaching from the shadows.

" _Mai?_ What in _Agni's_ name," he groaned. "I told you not to—"

"I'm not abandoning Kei Lo," she said, leaning over onto her knees to catch her breath. "I'm the reason he was captured. And I'm not sure I trust my father to keep Tom-Tom safe. I won't sit around when I can be helping them."

"Mai, you hid information about a group of terrorists. Not to mention the fact that the poison they've been using is oddly similar to your own," he whispered harshly. "How can I know you're not on their side?!"

"How can you _say_ that? I would never—"

"I—I don't know! I just can't deal with you right now!"

"Zuko, wait," Toph said quietly, pulling on his sleeve again. "She's _not lying_."

Zuko ground his teeth. He glared at the ground. "Fine. If you haven't felt anything yet, Toph, then let's head back to the others."

* * *

Sokka frowned. "I don't get it. Why aren't they evacuating? Did we miss them?"

"No. Mak says there's no sign of recent movement in the area," Zuko replied.

"Maybe they're using whatever earthbenders they have to dig a new tunnel out?" offered Aang.

Toph shook her head. "No way. The amateurs who made those tunnels couldn't manage a quick escape like that. My student could do it, but apparently Suki gave him a good dose of sleeping juice before she left."

"Maybe they _want_ us to go in. This could be a trap," Mai said quietly.

"Nah," Sokka replied. "Those suckers have no reason to suspect we know the tunnel layout as well as we do." He grinned at Toph. She stared ahead blankly. _Oh, yeah,_ he thought. _I just can't get it in my head that she can't—_

"All right. Then let's move in," Zuko directed.

* * *

Ukano tore through the narrow tunnel, sweating like mad as he barked instructions at the men running past him. Finding Ozai knocked unconscious had thrown them into chaos, making it nearly impossible for him to organize everyone for a timely evacuation.

"Master Ukano!" a young soldier called out, racing down the hall towards him.

"What, what is it?"

The young man bowed nervously. "H-he's awake, sir. And wants to see you."

Ukano nodded gruffly, though his chest tightened. He followed the man through several winding tunnels before entering a large, carved out room furnished with expensive items from his own home. Ozai sat on a red sofa, posture erect and eyes glaring at him.

"Fire Lord Ozai," Ukano said, prostrating himself before him. "I'm so glad to see you awake—"

"No thanks to you!" Ozai spat at him. "Your poor management of things allowed someone to infiltrate this hideout and escape with my foolish son."

Ukano trembled, teeth clattering. "I'm s-sorry, Lord Ozai. I—"

"Fortunately for you," Ozai said, cutting him off, "I don't have the time or resources to replace you just yet," he said irritably. "For now, I need you to oversee the evacuation of this hideout."

Ukano sat up on his knees. "This is already underway, my lord."

"Good. You will take the laymen forces with you and vacate immediately. And direct the earth kingdom scum to collapse this entire place in an hour."

"Collapse it? But…w-with all respect, this took weeks to construct."

Ozai's glare sent a chill up his spine. "It's useless to us now, you fool. And I don't want them finding our Dai Li technology—this is a powerful tool that _will_ remain in my control." He suddenly grinned. "You will command those brainwashed scum to bury themselves alive with the rest of the evidence. Understood?"

Ukano pressed his head back to the ground. "Y-yes, Fire Lord."

* * *

Shouting and stomping feet woke him from sleep.

"D-daddy?" The small lamp flickered as dust rained down on him. Tom-Tom gasped as several rocks rolled down the slanted walls of the room.

"Daddy!" he cried out again, but the big metal door remained shut. He began to cry.

Soon the door burst open and a large man tumbled into the room. "Hey kid, time to go!" he shouted at him, reaching out to pick him up.

"Who are you? Where's Daddy?" Tom-Tom asked, backing away from him on the bed.

"Uh, I'm Lee," the man said. He was big, with a bald head and deep set eyes, his voice deep but gentle. "Your dad asked me to come get you. But we gotta hurry—so come on, I'll carry you," he said, arms beckoning him forward.

Tom-Tom shook his head quickly. "Mai told me never to go anywhere with strangers ever again. And _you're_ a stranger."

The man looked at him, mouth hanging open. "I—well, that's right kiddo. But if we don't leave soon, this place is gonna—" His words were buried beneath more loud shouts from the hallway.

Tom-Tom, feeling overwhelmed, began to wail. Lee cringed, but reached out to grab him. Tom-Tom kicked and screamed, but the man slung him over his shoulder and raced out the door and through the dark hallways.

"DAAADDY! DAAAAADDY!" he screamed. Lee tightened his grip over his waist; Tom-Tom pounded his fists against his back as they moved quickly through the shadowy tunnel.

Soon, deeper shouts overpowered his own. Tom-Tom opened his watery eyes and found himself surrounded by more men in grey uniforms, all pointing and looking behind him. Turning around and gripping Lee's neck, he squinted his eyes into the darkness ahead of them.

Tantrum forgotten, Tom-Tom asked, "What's over there?"

Lee frowned. "A cave-in, little buddy. Looks like all our stomping around caused it." He repositioned Tom-Tom on his back, looping his arms through the boy's knees while Tom-Tom hung onto his neck. "Come on, let's find another way outta here." Lee jogged back the way they'd come, following the crowd of soldiers. Tom-Tom gripped the front of his shirt tightly, closing his eyes again as he bounced up and down against the man's back and tried to block out the shouting all around him.

"Where's the fastest way outta here?!"

"You don't think they'd bury us in, do you?"

"Up ahead, I think we take the next right at that fork!"

"No, that leads further down. We have to keep along this route here!"

Everything grew quiet as heavy pounding sounded from the earth up above. Tom-Tom felt Lee's hold on his legs tighten; he cracked one eye open and saw more dust wafting down from the ceiling. The group began to run, men shouting and tumbling over one another as large chunks of earth began falling all around them.

Suddenly, Tom-Tom flew forward; he rolled several paces away, crying out. Looking back, he saw Lee lying on the ground, legs buried beneath a mound of earth.

"Kid…run," he said, his dark grey eyes quivering. More earth began tumbling down around him. "RUN!"

Gasping, Tom-Tom staggered to his feet and tried to follow the other men running away from the wave of earth. His little legs soon left him alone and forgotten in the pitch black tunnel.

"Help!" he cried, stumbling over a stone and onto his knees. Sobbing, he called out again. "Daddy! Mai! Where are you?!"

* * *

Zuko stood stiffly, holding out a palm full of fire and staring at the two narrow tunnels that split the path ahead of them. Toph crouched over the ground a good distance away, pressing her palms into the earth to feel out which direction they should go.

Suddenly, a rough hand slapped his shoulder. "How's my favorite jerkbender doing?" Sokka said brightly.

"Hey, Sokka," Zuko said between clenched teeth.

Sokka's expression fell, but he continued. "Good thing Toph showed up, huh? Bet you'd still be trying to find your way outta those caves right now if she hadn't!" he said, laughing.

"Mmm," Zuko said, forcing a quick nod. His gut was boiling.

Sokka stepped away. "…Uh, is something up? I mean, you're usually a little surly, but this is—"

"It's nothing," Zuko said harshly. "Let's just focus on the mission right now." He stared ahead, pretending to focus on the cave he could barely see.

Sokka leaned against the cave wall, folding his arms. After a couple minutes, he spoke quietly. "…Suki told you, didn't she."

Zuko felt his chest burn in rage. He bit the inside of his lip.

"I didn't realize you two were so…" Sokka started, but trailed off. "Look, it's not what you think."

Zuko whipped his head towards his friend, face filled with disgust. " _Not what I think?_ So it's _not_ true that you couldn't _stomach_ being with someone who was—" he stopped, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Someone of Fire Nation blood? Something completely beyond her control? Something she'd already felt bad about and finally confided in you?"

Sokka was surprisingly composed during Zuko's tirade. "Exactly," he said quietly. "That's _not_ true. I don't care about that at all."

" _What?"_ Zuko spat. "Then why…"

Sokka stared into the tunnel, where Toph had disappeared as she ventured deeper into the darkness. "Because…the real reason would hurt her more."

Zuko glared at him. "I doubt it," he said darkly.

Sokka sighed. "Look, the truth is…I was having feelings for someone else."

Zuko followed Sokka's gaze into the tunnel. His mouth gaped open in sudden realization.

" _Toph?!_ " he whispered harshly. Sokka's head whipped around, eyes wide as his hands flew to Zuko's mouth.

"Geez, man! Keep it _down_!" Sokka said, head scanning the tunnel around them for any eavesdroppers. His cheeks were bright red.

"Sokka, you're _such_ an idiot," Zuko said, though the relief was almost enough to make him laugh. "I'm really glad you're not a bigot, though."

Sokka smiled. "Yeah, you can't afford to lose any of the, what, _five_ friends you have, right?"

"I have more than five friends!" Zuko said determinedly, though he went through a quick mental count to reassure himself. _I wonder if Uncle counts…_ Shaking his head, he turned stern again. "Sokka, I don't think it's right how things ended between you guys. It _really_ hurt her," he said quietly.

"I don't know…" Sokka said. "At least right now, she just thinks I'm a jerk. If I told her the truth, she might feel like…like she wasn't good enough, or something. Which isn't true at all. Suki's…well she's pretty much perfect, actually."

"Yeah, she is," Zuko said without thinking.

 _Oops._

Sokka stared at him, mouth gaping. "Do you—" but he stopped as someone came pounding towards them from the darkness.

"Toph! What is it?" Zuko asked. She raced between them, grabbing each one by the arm and dragging them back the way they'd come.

"They're coming—" she huffed. "A _lot_ of 'em!"


	20. Chapter 20

He gasped as rough hands grabbed his shoulders.

"Kei Lo? Come on man, wake up."

"Hurry it up, San. This place isn't gonna be standing for much longer."

Groaning, Kei Lo tried to stop the room from swirling.

"Geez, they really doped him up. Were they trying to kill him?"

"Probably."

His pulse quickened as he remembered what had happened. "No…" he choked out, his breaths ragged. "Mai, she's…"

"She's fine, they left her back at Ukano's place. You should be worried about yourself right now." Kei Lo looked up and saw San, another younger Society member who he'd grown up with and had joined around the same time he had. Behind him, Kouen stood by the door, arms crossed against his massive chest. He was close to thirty, with a darker complexion and long brown hair that hung behind his shoulders.

"Guys…what's going on?" he asked them.

San grinned at him. "We're getting you out. Come on, stand up." He yanked Kei Lo to his feet. He nearly emptied his stomach as the nausea swept over him.

"All right, you gotta walk now. Or else Kouen's gonna carry you."

Kei Lo shook his head quickly, letting San lead him through the doorway. They were in a dark, narrow tunnel that branched out in both directions. They made their way quickly down the path to the right, Kei Lo struggling to make his trembling legs move forward.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Underground," Kouen replied gruffly. "It's a new Society hideout."

"More like a prison," San replied.

They ran for several more minutes, winding through twisting tunnels that seemed to be moving towards the surface.

"Umm…why are you guys helping me?" Kei Lo finally asked.

The two looked at each other before looking back at him. San spoke. "You were right, Kei Lo. This _is_ wrong. After we found out Ukano was involved with the kidnappings—"

"He is?!" _I knew it!_ Kei Lo thought. "So you know where those kids are?"

"Most of them have been relocated with Society families in the city," San explained. "They're safe…but…"

"It's _despicable_ ," Kouen said darkly. "If my little girl was taken, I'd…" he clenched his fists as thin streams of smoke leaked from his nostrils.

"What about Ukano's son?" Kei Lo asked. "He was taken too."

San stiffened visibly ahead of him.

Kei Lo stopped. "…He's here, isn't he."

San turned back towards him. "Look, I get it. He's your girlfriend's brother. But the kid's with Ukano, so he'll be fine."

Kei Lo shook his head. "I don't know…I don't trust Ukano."

"We need to keep moving," Kouen said quickly. "They're going to collapse the tunnels within the hour. Everyone else has already evacuated."

Kei Lo remained where he was. "I have to go back for him. Just point me in the right direction."

They stared at him, Kouen frowning and San chewing on his lip. "Ukano is directing the evacuation in the next section over," San said a moment later, sighing. "There's a connecting tunnel just up ahead that you can take."

Kouen shook his head. "If you die, kid…can't say we didn't warn you."

* * *

Suki made her way slowly towards her room. She dragged the crutch along the floor behind her—it hurt more having the thing digging into her arm than it did walking on her foot.

"Suki!" a small voice shouted. Kiyi popped her head out from one of the living room doors and ran at her. She slowed to a stop a few feet away, looking up at Suki silently.

"Hi Kiyi. How are you feel—"

"Zuzu thinks you're pretty! He _told_ me," she said, a smirk flashing across her lips. Just as quickly as she came, she ran back into the room.

Suki stood there, flushing. Before she could fully register what had happened, the girl poked her head back out the door. "And thanks for saving me," she said shyly, pulling the door slowly shut.

Suki stared at the closed door for several moments before laughing quietly to herself.

"Yes, thank you Suki," someone said behind her. She started, but turned around to see Ursa walking towards her.

Suki bowed as deeply as her sore body would let her. "Lady Ursa, I'm so glad you're all right—"

She stopped as the woman wrapped her arms around her. "Just Ursa is fine," she said before pulling back. "Zuko told me what you did for Kiyi. I don't know how we can ever repay you."

Suki shook her head quickly. "Oh, no! It's fine. I'm just glad she's okay."

Ursa smiled at her. She seemed different, somehow—brighter, like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Well, let me at least help you to your room. And if you'd like, I know a wonderful remedy for your burns," Ursa said. "Those Water Tribe healers have talent, I'll admit, but we herbalists still have a few tricks up our sleeves."

Suki smiled widely, letting Ursa guide her along.

* * *

Kei Lo ran through the dark tunnels. Several of the lamps had been forgotten, left to burn dry, forcing him to run half-blind through the tight passageways. It was eerily quiet, the only sound the echo of his own pounding feet reverberating off the walls.

"Tom-Tom!" he called out for what felt like the hundredth time. _I must have gone the wrong way. Or maybe he made it out…should I turn back?_ Kei Lo shook his head. There was no way he could leave before knowing the kid was safe. An image of Mai, biting her lip in worry for her brother, flashed in his mind.

 _I'll find him, Mai. Or I won't come back._

Determined, he picked up his pace despite the lingering grogginess from the poison. Rounding a sharp corner, he thought he heard a small noise. He stopped, holding his breath as he listened in the darkness. A high-pitched cry bounced off the walls. Heart racing, Kei Lo sprinted onward, calling out again. The cry continued, growing louder as he wove his way through the widening tunnel.

"Tom-Tom! Are you here?" he shouted, stopping again to listen.

Someone sniffled in the darkness. "Hello?" a small voice asked.

"Tom-Tom? Is that you?" he said quickly, moving slowly in the pitch-black tunnel towards the voice. "It's me, Kei Lo."

"Kei Lo?!" the boy shouted. Kei Lo felt a small body ram into his legs. He reached down and picked the child up. Tom-Tom wrapped his short arms around his neck.

Kei Lo sighed deeply, relief flooding over him. "You're okay, buddy, I gotcha," he said, squeezing the kid tight. "Want to see Mai?" He felt the boy nod against his neck. "All right then, let's get out of here."

* * *

It was almost _too_ easy.

A hundred feet spilled from the tunnel entrance into the cool nighttime air. Hidden behind a large, jagged rock, Toph dropped her shoulders before raising her arms up quickly, surrounding the group of men with a giant, circular wall of earth. She heard blasts of fire muffled by the dense earth as the men inside scrambled to escape.

"Woooo! Take that, suckers!" Sokka shouted beside her. She brushed her hands off casually before they emerged from the hiding spot along with the others. She felt Zuko's troops position themselves around the wall as she stepped forward. She spread her arms out, palms down, as she felt out the location of each man within her earthen cage. One by one, she locked each body in a tight column of earth, hands flexing and relaxing in rapid succession. As she progressed, the shouts from inside grew louder and more terrified. She grinned.

She felt Zuko inch nervously beside her. "Um, Toph…what are you doing to them?"

She just laughed, trapping the last man before swinging her arms down to collapse the wall. Several dozen men stood, trapped in various positions in the earth.

"Ha ha! Oh man, if only you could see the looks on their faces!" Sokka exclaimed. " _Priceless!_ "

She felt Zuko's troops approach their prisoners. Several minutes passed before Zuko called out, "Well? Is he here?"

"No, Fire Lord," a man replied. "He isn't."

Toph could sense Zuko's anxiety as though it were leaking into the earth. "My student isn't here either," she said quietly. She felt Zuko turn towards her. "They must have dug out another way after all."

Zuko swore. "Guards, secure these men and move them to the prison. General Mak, you and your elite team will come with us and—"

"WHERE ARE THEY?" someone interrupted. _Mai?_ Toph thought, puzzled. It sounded like her, but her voice was strangely ragged, pulsing with emotion.

"What's going on?" she whispered to Sokka.

He put a hand on her shoulder and leaned close to her ear. "I think she found her dad."

"Tom-Tom…Kei Lo… _Where are they_?" she asked again.

Toph felt nervous vibrations coming from the large man trapped in earth beside Mai. "Tom-Tom should be here…I sent Lee for him..."

Toph's heart dropped into her stomach. She grabbed Sokka's arm with both hands. "I don't feel any kids here," she said, her face contorting.

She felt Mai turn towards her, felt her pounding heart reverberate through the earth. "TOM-TOM!" she suddenly cried, running through the web of trapped men towards the tunnel entrance.

Suddenly, a deep pulse ran up Toph's legs. She crouched to the ground, pressing her palms into the soil. "I think I feel—" she started, then gasped.

"What is it?" Sokka asked.

"The entire tunnel—it's gonna collapse!"

* * *

Kei Lo hustled back through the dark tunnels, gripping Tom-Tom tightly against his chest. Even more of the lanterns had gone out, so he wasn't making much progress.

"Hey! Anybody there? I've got a kid here!" he cried out. _What am I doing, they've all got to be long gone by—_ He huffed as he bumped into someone. Looking up, he saw a thin, young man in the dimly lit passageway. He wore a green Earth Kingdom army uniform.

Kei Lo ignored the oddness of the encounter as relief swept over him. "Hey! Can you help us out?" he asked quickly. The guy continued to stare forward, his gaze unmoving.

Kei Lo stepped in front of him, pulling a hand away from Tom-Tom to wave in the man's face.

"Hell _ooo_?!" The man's pupils were completely dilated, large black orbs staring blankly back at him. Suddenly, the man's arms lifted slowly. The earth began to shake around them, pebbles rolling down the curved tunnel walls as the air filled with dust.

"What are you _doing_?!" Kei Lo yelled. He felt Tom-Tom coughing against his neck. Grimacing, he left the man and sprinted further down the tunnel.

Soon, the ground beneath his feet began to quake as larger chunks of earth fell from the ceiling. Panicking, Kei Lo cried out again. "Someone! HELP! PLEASE!" His heart was pounding in his ears; Tom-Tom was screaming, his grip nearly suffocating Kei Lo as he plowed forward through the falling debris.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his arm and yank him back. He fell hard on his back as his ears were flooded with the sound of crashing earth. Opening his eyes, he found himself wedged into a tight opening in the wall of the tunnel, Tom-Tom on his chest.

"What…who…" he gasped, but stopped as earth began spilling from the tunnel into the small crevice they were sitting in. He felt himself being hoisted to his feet and dragged along by the hand between two rough walls of earth. He held Tom-Tom tight as the ragged rocks scraped his arms and legs.

They soon emerged. Kei Lo took a deep breath—the air felt less stagnant here than in the tunnel. He heard what sounded like a stream echoing off the walls of a large open space.

Someone lit a flame in the darkness. His heart stopped as two one-eyed masks stared back at him.

* * *

Zuko coughed roughly as the dust settled around them. He'd barely registered Toph's warning before the entire ground beneath them shifted, sinking everything within a half-mile radius nearly two stories deep into the earth.

On shaky feet, he stood, scanning the damage around him. He saw Aang and Katara getting to their feet a ways off; Toph and Sokka emerging from an earthen dome she'd formed to protect them; his men slowly getting to their feet and quickly apprehending the prisoners whose earthen restraints had broken in the collapse.

Mai stood beside the tunnel entrance, now a heap of rubble in the hillside.

"No…" she began, dropping to her knees. "Tom-Tom…Kei Lo…" Her voice was ragged, her chest rising with uneven breaths. A terrible sob escaped her as she dug her hands into the earth.

Zuko looked away, insides burning with fury and grief.

Suddenly, the ground behind him shook. He just barely caught a glimpse of Toph's head as she sank into the earth, the ground sealing over her.

"Toph, wait!" Sokka cried, pouncing at the ground. He was a split second too late.

* * *

She flew down the tunnel, its walls squeezing closer and closer the further she went. The floors grew steadily steeper, crawling into the depths of the earth. She tried to stop, to turn back, but the path was so steep she couldn't slow her legs down. Chunks of earth rained down on her, her feet pounding against the ground that was now splitting apart. Her foot hit a jagged rock and she felt herself lurch forward, falling into the darkness.

Suki sat up suddenly, heart pounding in her ears. She sighed, blowing the hair out of her face as she took in the dim bedroom around her.

 _Just a dream._

Ty Lee's bed was empty; she must still be on watch. Suki watched the moonlight pouring into their room as she waited for the beating in her chest to die down.

Just as she laid back down, a hollow shout echoed against the walls. She sat up again, focusing on the quiet air. More shouts joined the first, growing in volume. Tearing off the covers, Suki tightened the sash around her green sleepwear and grabbed her sword from the dresser. She raced out the door and followed the rising voices towards the palace entrance. Rounding a corner, she saw a handful of Zuko's guards cowering against the walls, backs to her, weapons abandoned on the floor.

She ran towards the closest man. "Are you hurt? What's happened?!" she cried, crouching beside him.

He pressed his hands to his face, shaking his head violently. Suki reached for his wrists, pulling his hands down slowly so she could assess the damage.

One look and she realized there wasn't anything she or anyone else could do for him.

She stood quickly, racing past the other soldiers, all curled in on themselves in the dark passageway.

She ran towards the family chambers. _I can't let him get to them!_ She rounded another corner and sprinted down the long hallway, moonlight peaking between the tall, dark curtains. Just before she reached the end of the passageway, she heard a gentle clicking against the tile floor behind her.

Arms trembling, Suki unsheathed her katana and turned around slowly. Nothing was there; just the dark rug running the length of the corridor and the dim lanterns against the wall.

Just as she turned her back to the hallway, a sickly voice tore into the silence.

"Oh, _yes_ …you would make a _splendid_ addition to my collection."


	21. Chapter 21

Sokka stood where Toph had disappeared, sighing as he dug at the dirt with his foot. By now, Katara was kneeling beside Mai. She held her hand as Mai stared into the dark wasteland of upturned earth, her face wet, her expression empty.

Zuko swore loudly, his anger a mask for the tears threatening to spill out. "Mak! Get that team and follow me, now!" he barked, storming away from the scene.

 _This is all my fault. I should've kept better tabs on my father. We should have set out sooner tonight. I should've been more aggressive in hunting these guys down in the first place. I've let things get so out of control._ He stopped, ducking his head as he clenched his fists. _How…how could I let this happen? Because of me, Tom-Tom is—_

His thoughts were interrupted as the ground shook violently again. A column of earth shot out, crumbling mid-air and sending rocks and organic debris raining down on them. Zuko raised his arms to shield his face as a sphere of earth moved slowly up and out of the hole in the earth. It landed roughly several paces away from their group, a large crack splitting down the middle. A short figure stomped out into the light of the surrounding fires.

"Toph!" Sokka cried.

"Toph? What were you doing?!" Zuko shouted. "You could have been—" He stopped as Kei Lo stepped out behind her, a child clinging tightly to his chest.

He heard someone gasp behind him. Mai ran forward, pushing him and Sokka aside and throwing herself at Kei-Lo.

"Mai!" Tom-Tom cried happily, reaching out for her. She scooped him up and squeezed him tight before turning to Kei Lo and planting an enormous kiss on his mouth.

Zuko looked at the ground, feeling both extreme relief and discomfort all rolled into one.

Suddenly, several guards cried out. He looked up and saw two of the masked kidnappers stepping out of the earthen shell behind the others. His men ran at them, fires blazing as the girls raised their arms in defense.

"Wait, stop!" Zuko cried out, racing forward. The men looked at him, puzzled. "Continue securing the prisoners," he directed sternly. "I'll handle this." They backed away slowly as he strode past them, stopping a few paces away from the two robed figures.

One of them stepped forward, just barely visible in the moonlight. "Where's Aki?!" she asked sharply.

"She's back at the palace. She's safe," he replied.

"Our families. What about them?"

"I've sent guards to bring them there too. They're all safe," he promised.

The other girl grabbed the first by the shoulders. "What'd I tell you?! I knew Suki wasn't lying!" She laughed. "They're gonna be okay, Chou! We got away…we got away from him…" Her laughter morphed into choked sobs as she wrapped her arms around her sister. Behind the unreadable mask, the one named Chou appeared to be staring at Zuko. She slowly lifted a hand to her sister's arm, holding it tightly.

Zuko stared back. _I still can't wrap my head around the fact that they really are my—_ Nausea flooded his gut as he thought how many others there _could_ be—how many other families his father had hurt.

 _"Did Aang…make the wrong choice?"_

Zuko closed his eyes as Suki's question resonated in his mind. Aang had admitted once that Avatar Kyoshi had all but told him to kill Ozai. He wondered if a similar philosophy of justice was still part of the Kyoshi way. Regardless, he couldn't blame Suki for voicing something he himself had wondered countless times since the end of the war.

He opened his eyes as he sensed someone approach. The girls were kneeling before him, heads low to the ground.

"Thank you, Fire Lord Zuko," Chou said, dark strands of hair peeking out from behind the mask. "I don't know how we can repay you."

Guilt rubbed against his chest. "Please don't say that," he said quietly. He reached down to help the both up in turn, his arms trembling. "In all honestly, I don't know how I can repay _you_ for my father's dishonor."

The three of them stood in silence for several long moments. Suddenly, the second sister flung herself at him, arms wrapping tightly around his chest.

 _"Teja!"_ Chou whispered harshly, glancing around. "For Agni's sake, he's the _Fire Lord!_ You can't just—"

"It's okay," Zuko said quietly, patting Teja clumsily on the back.

"Umm, I dunno what the heck is going on here, but I've got a lily liver to catch," Toph said loudly from behind him. Teja let go and stepped back quickly as the earthbender walked up to them.

"And I need to go after my father," Zuko said sternly. He looked at the twins. "Do you two know where he might have gone?"

They shook their heads in unison, heads bowed.

"Oh, I already know where they're going," Toph said matter-of-factly.

"You do?! Where—" He stopped as Toph pointed to the north.

Sokka strode over beside her. "The North Pole?!" he said wildly. " _Ugh,_ that's the opposite direction of where we need to—"

Toph face-palmed. "Not that far, dummy! To that big forest!"

Sokka squinted into the darkness before looking back down at her. "You realize it's the middle of the night, right? _Some_ of us can't see in the—"

"Wait, Toph, how do you know?" Zuko interrupted.

She put her hands on her hips. "World's greatest earthbender, remember? I felt their escape tunnel while I was down there looking for these guys," she said, jutting a thumb over her shoulder.

"Man, I just can't say it enough—I am SO glad we added you to the group!" Sokka said proudly as the others walked towards them. As they all gathered around, the wind suddenly picked up, blowing hair across faces and whipping tunics frantically against their skin.

"Mai, I'm cold!" Tom-Tom whined. Kei Lo wrapped an arm around Mai's shoulders as she tucked her brother under her cloak. General Mak ran up to Zuko as the others huddled together.

"Fire Lord, our scouts report a severe ocean storm heading this way," he stated. "It will likely pass over this area within the next couple hours."

Zuko frowned. He looked towards the ocean—a tall, dark cloud was barely visible in the moonlight. The wind's howl deepened and he shivered against the sudden drop in temperature. He looked back at the others; Katara gripped Aang's hand tightly, looking towards the sea, anxiety etched into her face.

"Can Appa outfly that?" she asked.

"Yeah," Aang replied quietly. "But…I don't think we'll be done here before it hits."

Years spent on a ship at sea flashed in Zuko's mind. "These storms can take weeks working their way south. You'll be stuck trailing behind it if you can't get ahead now," Zuko explained. He looked away. "You guys should go."

"No, man, we can stay. This is important," Sokka said.

"It's okay. We're just dealing with my father, whose only defense is one earthbender. We have more than enough manpower to handle this," Zuko replied.

"Hey, don't underestimate the power of one earthbender," Toph said, smirking. Sokka chuckled.

Aang looked concerned. "But what if there's more of them you don't know about?" he asked. "He could have other supporters who—"

"He doesn't," Chou replied sternly. "At least…none near enough to matter. It's just the metalbender left."

Katara looked concerned. "…Are you sure, Zuko? I don't want to be selfish…"

"I'm sure." He smiled. "I hope everything goes well rebuilding the South. Let me know what we can do to help, once things get settled."

Katara smiled gratefully as Aang pulled out his bison whistle. He blew hard against the growing wind.

* * *

Suki turned around slowly, setting her face to a mask of stone. The hallway was still empty, the curtains flapping violently as wind howled against the open windows. She raised her sword slowly, pointing the tip into the darkness.

A deep, hollow voice laughed. "You think _that_ will work against me? Foolish mortal."

Suki held the hilt tightly, unmoving as she stared blankly ahead of her. "Show yourself, Koh," she demanded.

A face dissolved quickly, inches from her own. A young woman stared at her. She had short, cropped black hair and almond-shaped, golden eyes almost identical to Zuko's.

"Te-Teja?" Suki gasped, realization spilling over her. She barely managed to keep a straight face as her heart bulged in her throat.

Teja's face laughed maliciously. "So you know this one, hmm? How very _interesting,_ " it spoke deeply. Suddenly, the hair grew much longer as the face's nose widened just slightly.

"Perhaps you know her sister as well?" the new face spoke.

 _Chou,_ Suki inferred, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Those two were just unlucky. Had no clue who I was when I showed up," Chou's face grinned. "It was too easy!" At once, a strange head appeared, surrounding the face. It moved around her as its long, translucent body appeared from thin air. "With you, this could prove more difficult. For a face like _that,_ though…I can be patient."

Extreme discomfort piled atop the fear in Suki's chest. The last person she wanted giving her compliments was a perverted spirit centipede.

"You're really quite a rarity, you know," Koh continued. "Knowing the Kyoshi Warriors were in the palace was temptation enough to drop in. But to find one of _mixed blood_ …I couldn't have asked for a better treat."

Suki's breath grew short. "H-how…how do you know that?"

The strange skin around Chou's face began blinking rapidly, a myriad of colorful faces flashing in succession. "You can't steal a _million_ faces without becoming a master of them." He stopped on a pale girl close to Suki's age, two green eyes flecked with gold gazing back at her. "So I can certainly spot _your kind_ anywhere."


	22. Chapter 22

Zuko stood at the edge of the forest. Its young trees were barely visible in the dimming moonlight as early storm clouds blew in from the sea.

Toph stood beside him. It hadn't escaped his notice how Sokka had hugged her much longer than anyone else before Appa took off into the night sky. Looking down, Zuko saw Toph violently digging her pinkie around the inside of her ear. _Well…to each their own,_ he thought, scrunching his nose.

Spread out along the forest's edge were Mak and a dozen highly specialized fighters. It was probably overkill, but there was no way he was letting his father get away. Mai and Kei Lo had taken Tom-Tom home, but Chou and Teja remained. They stood behind him, having insisted on coming along.

 _"We can bend lightning, remember? Our old man won't stand a chance."_

Zuko sighed from exhaustion. _Almost there. We've got the rest of them—just have to capture my father,_ he told himself. _And after that…I get to have dinner with Suki._ He felt suddenly warm despite the screaming wind around them.

"What are you so happy about?" Toph asked. "That excited to kick your dad's dumb butt?"

"N-no." Zuko's cheeks burned. "Well, I mean, maybe. Um…can you sense anything yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

She wiped her finger on her tunic, frowning. "No. They've gotta be hiding up in a tree or something."

Zuko looked up into the young, thin trees surrounding them, finally able to grow since the nearby volcano had grown dormant a few years ago. An image of his father straddling the branch of a young sapling popped into his mind. "Uuuh…I don't think that's possible."

"Well, it's probably this darn wind. It's making these trees vibrate like crazy so it's hard for me to read the movements against the ground," she huffed.

"It's okay." Zuko bit his lip nervously as a light rain began to fall on them. He held up a small palm full of fire and looked towards General Mak, who stood several paces to his left. "Let's move in. I want to get this done with before we get stuck in the heart of this storm."

Mak nodded, then motioned for his men to enter the forest. His team split into several groups, all creeping quietly through the sparse trees as the rain thickened around them. Zuko sent more energy into his fire, trying to keep it lit against the downpour as he started forward with Toph and the twins.

"Ow!" Toph whispered harshly. Zuko looked ahead of him—she'd run into a low-hanging branch from one of the trees and was rubbing her nose roughly.

Zuko felt bad—he should've realized she couldn't sense the branches. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded quickly. "Here, just follow behind me," he said, moving in front of her. She grumbled a reply, but followed closely behind him as they moved deeper into the woods. The trees here were slightly taller and thicker, their canopy blocking out the small amount of moonlight still peeking through the clouds.

"When I get my hands on that lily liver…why I'll—" Toph was mumbling, but stopped quickly. Zuko felt her grab the back of his tunic, nearly pulling him flat on his back. He put out his fire and turned to her.

"Do you feel something?" he whispered. Teja and Chou crept towards them.

Suddenly, Zuko felt the earth move; they all stumbled into each other as the trees around them uprooted and a mass of something blocked out the remaining moonlight above them.

Zuko lit a flame in his hand. They were encased in a large, earthen dome, a dozen broken trees littering the ground around them. The twins stood up slowly, scanning their surroundings.

"Toph? What's going on?!" Zuko cried.

Toph had her palms sunk deep in the soil. "YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA WORK ON _ME_?!" she yelled, standing and thrusting her arms towards a spot on the earthen wall. Nothing seemed to happen. Toph lowered her arms slowly, closing her eyes as she seemed to be listening for something. All Zuko could hear was the rain pounding on the roof above them.

He looked back at Toph. A wicked grin appeared on her face as she raised her arms and lowered the thick dirt walls around them. The earth crumbled, piles of mud, branches and roots littering the ground. Toph stormed into the darkness.

"Toph, hold up!" Zuko said as he ran after her.

He stumbled into a large clearing, where Toph stood silently. Working his way around the deep puddles forming in the uneven earth, Zuko approached her and saw someone in dark robes struggling against the mud that held him tightly against the trunk of a tree. Zuko leaned down and pulled the person's hood back, revealing the face of a young man. He was extremely pale, with a long nose and jet-black hair, glaring at them with large, dilated eyes.

"Toph, is this your student?" he asked.

She nodded. "Zuko…meet The Dark One."

"The…what?"

Toph didn't respond. She was chewing her lip, her hair plastered against her face as the rain poured down on them. Zuko pushed his own out of his eyes as he waited.

"Something's wrong with him," she said sharply. She reached down and grabbed the boy by the collar. "Where's the poetry, huh? Come on, _out with it!"_ she yelled at him.

"Uh, Toph? What in the world are you talking about—" Zuko stopped as one of the sisters grabbed his arm.

"He's been brainwashed," It was either Teja or Chou—he wasn't sure.

Toph turned towards her quickly. "Well, duh. He'd have to be to consider working for that crazy—"

"No, he's _literally_ been brainwashed," the girl continued.

Toph's eyes grew wide, unfocused on the girl's chest. "Y-you can't mean…like what the Dai Li did, can you?"

"Exactly. Ozai somehow got access to their methods and has been using it on the young benders they've been kidnapping from the Earth Kingdom." The sister stepped forward, holding a bright flame in front of The Dark One's eyes. "Look—his pupils aren't constricting."

"Uh, I'm blind," Toph said blankly. Zuko smiled—it was always entertaining when someone met Toph.

"Wow, really? That's amazing!" the girl said brightly. _Probably Teja,_ Zuko inferred from the little he knew about the two.

Toph grinned, "First time someone's had _that_ reaction." She threw out a hand and Teja grasped it tightly.

Zuko squatted down during the exchange, looking The Dark One in the eyes. "Where's Ozai?" he commanded him. The boy stared ahead blankly, silent. He grabbed the kid's shoulders and shook him violently. "Come on, snap out of it! We have to find him!"

"Fire Lord, that won't work," Chou said, standing behind him. "I don't think there's a cure for this."

"Oh yes there is," Toph said. "Katara used her healing power on that guy Jet when _he_ was brainwashed, and that worked."

Zuko grimaced at the mention of Jet. "Well, Katara is long gone by now, trying to outpace that storm…" He exhaled loudly. "Isn't there any other way we can get him to talk?"

"I think Aang also got Jet to snap out of it by mentioning something he had a strong emotional connection to—" Toph stopped suddenly, smirking. "Move outta my way, Fire Lord," she said, pushing Zuko aside and crouching in front of her student. She grabbed the sides of his head, her face inches from his own. Zuko suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable until—

"Moo-Chee-Goo-Chee-La-Poo-Chee… _the Third!"_ Toph yelled.

Equally relieved and confused, Zuko watched as the empty look on The Dark One's face melted into one of terror. Tears began streaming from his eyes.

"Pray, do not utter such horrors!" he cried. "For they lodge the splinter of anguish ever deeper in the vast caverns of my soul…"

Toph, stood up, pumping her fists. "Ha ha, yes! He's back!"

Zuko stood, mouth gaping, but quickly shook his head and addressed The Dark One. "Okay, where is he? Where is Ozai?" he said quickly, desperate not to lose his father now that they were so close.

The Dark One looked up at him, eyes growing wide. "What great string of fate hath led the Lord of Fire to hereby address the likes of—"

"Enough with the poetry!" Toph interrupted. "Look, I won't beat you up too bad for helping Ozai—I get you were brainwashed. Just help us find him now!"

The Dark One looked horrified. "I…d-don't know what you're talking about, Sifu Toph." He looked around the dark forest, the wind and rain rattling the branches above them. "Where are we?"

Toph stared blankly ahead, mouth gaping, before face-palming. "Great! He doesn't remember any of it!" She turned back towards at her student. "Okay, look, if you were trying to hide someone out here, what _would_ you do?" she asked him.

The Dark One leaned forward, pressing his palms into the earth and squeezing his eyes shut as he felt out their surroundings.

Toph bumped Zuko in the side with her elbow. " _I_ taught him that," she whispered proudly.

The Dark One frowned. "I guess under normal circumstances, I'd just dig out a tunnel and escape that way. But with all this rain making the ground so loose…I would've just told them to climb a tree."

Toph turned in Zuko's direction. "Told ya."

At once, the five of them slowly tilted their heads up towards the dark canopy above. Zuko shot a blast of fire towards the branches—with all the rain, he figured it couldn't start a fire as long as he was careful. As the flames dimmed towards the canopy roof, he thought he caught two golden specks reflecting back down at them.

His heart dropped in his chest. "He—he's up there!" he shouted. Everyone fell into fighting stances as a figure slid down the truck of a distant tree. The man took off, sprinting into the darkness away from them.

"AFTER HIM!" Zuko hollered as they all flew towards Ozai in pursuit. Beside him, Chou sent out a sharp crack of lightning. It hit a tree to Ozai's right, sending quick sparks up the branches and several paces out from the tree's base along the wet ground towards their feet.

"Careful!" Zuko shouted behind him. "It might be too wet for that right now."

They ran quickly, dodging low branches and leaping over tangled roots. Ozai was fast, but Zuko ran with all his might and gained on him quickly. Once in range, he began punching the air, sending repeated fire blasts at his father. Ozai managed to dodge them, but it slowed him down enough to let Zuko get into range to grab the man's tunic.

His father threw his hand back, nearly smashing his fist into Zuko's face. Zuko threw up his forearm to block the attack and sent a pulse of fire towards the man's face with his other hand. Ozai ducked, swinging his foot around to trip him—but Zuko stepped aside quickly, grabbing his father's leg and pulling him to the ground. Ozai's fist came up to strike again, but Zuko grabbed his wrist. He knelt on his back, pinning Ozai's wrist down with one hand and holding a tight arrow of fire at his neck with the other.

"It's over, Father. You've lost," Zuko breathed roughly. He dug his knee into the man's back, adrenalin from the fight pulsing through his veins. It felt so strange to have his father submit this easily—so strange that after taking his defenses away, the man who'd tormented him for so much of his life was really no match for him at all.

The others surrounded them quickly. Ozai turned his head to glare at him, his face pressed in the mud. His eyes landed on Chou and Teja before flashing back to Zuko.

"Seems you found out the truth about my little _pets_ ," he snarled.

"DON'T CALL THEM THAT!" Zuko bellowed, seething with fury. His flame pulsed stronger, the skin on Ozai's neck beginning to blister with the heat.

His father's eyes burned into him for several long moments. _"Do it,"_ he said darkly.

Zuko flinched, taming the flame. "N-no. I'm not a murderer. I'm not like you."

"I had your woman _killed_ , Zuko. A _true_ Fire Lord would never let such an act go unpunished."

Zuko sighed. "She's alive, Father. You failed there as well." _Thank Agni, you failed,_ he thought, trying not to remember the terror of thinking Suki was gone.

Ozai's eyes widened, but then a wicked grin flashed across his face. "She's in the palace, isn't she?" he snickered.

Zuko frowned deeply, but he kept silent. _What is he getting at?_

His heart began to race as his father's smile widened. "Then perhaps I haven't failed in _that_ after all."

Zuko's hands shook like mad as he held the man against the muddy earth. "Wh-what are you talking about, Father?"

Ozai continued to grin widely, but remained quiet.

"ANSWER ME!" Zuko roared, the trembling working its way up into his arms and shoulders. Ozai only laughed at him.

"T-Toph! Secure him!" Zuko yelled, jumping back as Ozai's body was encased in earth. He stepped away, turning south towards the palace he couldn't see. He suddenly jerked his arms up, sending a pattern of fire through a small opening in the trees above them.

"That's our signal—General Mak will be here soon," Zuko said quickly. With that, he tore back the way they'd come, ignoring the shouts of the others behind him.

The rain poured down painfully as he flew through the forest, his hair completely free from the topknot and clothes plastered to his skin. At the forest's edge, he stumbled down the steep cliff towards the komodo rhinos waiting below. They roared as he approached; he pulled himself up one of the younger, more agile beasts and gave it a rough kick. Zuko held out a bright flame as they sped across the black wasteland towards the distant Caldera, his heart hammering madly against his ribs, his mind imagining all the horrible things his father could have meant.

 _Oh Agni, please don't let me be too late…_


	23. Chapter 23

The palace doors flew open. The Fire Lord stood there for several moments, soaking wet and panting heavily. Then he sprinted through the dark halls despite how his aching body begged him to stop.

The usual guards were absent from their posts in the hall just off the entryway. Zuko bit his cheek hard as he ran down the long corridor, leaving water stains along the carpet in his wake. As he turned towards the family rooms, he caught the glimmer of an object on the rug. Moving towards it, his heart sank slowly in his chest as a figure came into view, lying in the shadows.

Sword cast aside, Suki was curled in a heap, rain from the open windows pouring down on her.

" _No_ …" Zuko choked out. He staggered forward, sinking to his knees and pulling her into his arms. He dragged the wet hair out of her face and watched with great relief as her chest rose and fell once, twice, three times in a steady pattern. Zuko exhaled roughly, looking her over for any sign of injury. Besides feeling freezing cold and soaked through, she seemed unharmed.

"Suki…Suki, w-wake up," he said anxiously. She didn't respond. He tried shaking her, but her head just lolled limply against the crook of his elbow.

"H-help—" Zuko gasped before gaining control of his voice. "HELP!" he bellowed, picking her up and tearing down the length of the corridor.

"I'm coming!" a distant voice shouted. "What's going—" Ty Lee's eyes grew large as she rounded the corner. "Zuko?! W-what's happened? Is that—" she gasped. "Suki! Oh no!"

"Go wake up Master Osamu!" Zuko ordered as they ran towards the healing ward.

"He's already awake! Some of the guards came to him after…" she started, trailing off.

"After what?"

"We—we've been keeping a close watch over your family this whole time. I thought Suki was still asleep in our room!" she said, panicking.

"What happened, Ty Lee?! Was there an attack?"

They slowed as they reached the ward. "…We're not sure, Zuko," she admitted nervously, looking towards the room.

He kicked the door open and stormed in. A handful of guards filled the beds, their heads turning around in unison. Eight faceless men and women stared at him.

Zuko paled. "K-Koh was… _here_ …" he breathed in shock.

Osamu strode towards him and pressed his fingers to Suki's neck, then to her forehead. "Get her to her room and light the hearth," he ordered Zuko. The Fire Lord nodded quickly, too concerned for Suki to care about the man's breach of conduct. Osamu turned to two of the female healers. "She needs to get dry and warm immediately. I'll be in to check on her shortly."

Zuko, Ty Lee, and the healers left the ward. He ran ahead of them towards the wing where the Kyoshi Warriors were housed. He slowed once inside, unsure where to go.

"In here, Zuko," Ty Lee said gently, pulling him into one of the rooms.

Ignoring the bed covered in pink pillows, Zuko carefully laid Suki down on the other. He hesitated, holding her arms tightly for several moments before he ran towards the hearth, throwing several logs and a handful of kindling in the pit. He sent out a steady stream of fire from his palm and watched as the kindling took and the wood slowly began to burn, trying to temper the sickness churning in his gut.

Ty Lee held up the bed sheet as a shield while the healers began quickly stripping Suki out of her wet clothes. Zuko ducked his head, cheeks pink as he finished the fire quickly and left the room. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, gritting his teeth in anxiety.

 _H-how…how did my father know that Koh would be here?_ he thought desperately. Osamu approached then; Zuko stepped aside as the man moved into the room, shutting the door behind him. _What is going on?_ Zuko continued, mind racing. _Koh didn't steal Suki's face, so what's wrong with her?_ He stopped suddenly, mouth gaping as realization hit him. _Could she be…_

He was staring at his feet, horrorstruck, when a large hand rested on his shoulder.

"Nephew. Are you all right?"

Zuko looked up slowly. "Uncle, is it true…that you've been to the Spirit World?"

* * *

Suki stared ahead, unmoving, unfeeling. Dim, grey light spilled into the damp cavern as a giant, segmented body circled her slowly. She closed her eyes, focusing on the slow dripping of rain down the tunnel walls, her own shallow breaths…the clicking of Koh's legs against the earth.

She felt warm air brush her cheek. She opened her eyes slowly—a young Fire Nation soldier's face grinned at her, almost too close for her to bring into focus. She recognized the face—one of Zuko's guards from the palace—but the expression belonged entirely to Koh. His breath was hot and stale, grazing her neck as he continued to spiral ever tighter around her.

 _Enough of this,_ she thought furiously.

Just before he could tighten his hold, Suki pushed against the top of his shell-like body, propelling herself into the air. She landed several paces away, inhaling sharply before racing down the nearest cave.

The light faded to blackness as Suki tore through the narrow tunnels. Jagged rocks protruded from the walls, tearing into her arms as she weaved blindly between the large, twisting roots along the path.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting hiss echoed off the walls around her. Her head pulsed as the barriers grew thicker; she soon found herself squeezing between the roots as the sound of clicking legs grew louder and louder. She heard her own desperate, ragged breaths build into gasps of terror as the roots and earth began to give way.

She tumbled forward, her body gaining speed as she rolled down a sharp incline.

"Ungh!" Suki gasped, slamming into a wall.

Her heart nearly stopped when it moved.

"There's no escaping me here. This is _my_ realm," Koh snarled, pressing his hard-shelled body roughly against her, pinning her to the ground in the darkness. "And the only way I let you leave is _without that face_."

* * *

Zuko knelt beside the bed, pressing Suki's cold fingers to his forehead as he grasped her hand between both of his.

Someone touched his shoulder. "Zuko…" Ty Lee began. "Are you two…"

He nodded slowly.

Ty Lee sat on the edge of the bed. "I wondered…after Sokka told me they'd broken up," she started, smiling slightly. "It's about time."

He looked up at her, blinking.

"Both your auras are just so…bright, when you're together," she explained.

Zuko smiled sadly.

"Sh-she'll be okay," Ty Lee went on quietly, almost to herself.

The door opened as Iroh stepped into the room. He pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat, his hands folded in his lap.

"Your suspicions are confirmed, my nephew. Master Osamu tells me her symptoms are almost identical to your mother's when she was in the Spirit World."

Zuko's face contorted, though he wasn't surprised. "How long can a body survive without its spirit, Uncle?"

"From my experience…several days," Iroh replied, frowning. "Surely it isn't too late to send for the Avatar?" he asked.

Zuko exhaled roughly. "They're on the opposite side of this storm, Uncle. It may take days for it to pass through, and by the time we could locate them…" he trailed off as the wind beat furiously against the roof. Zuko looked up, eyes quivering. "Uncle, can't you…" he stopped, grinding his teeth.

His uncle was quiet for several moments. "I'm afraid I spent far too much time in the Spirit World in my search for your cousin. Should I return…I may not be able to come back," he admitted. "However, that's a chance I would gladly take."

Zuko stared at him, horrorstruck. "N-no, Uncle. _No._ There has to be another way."

Iroh smiled. "And I believe there is."

"What? What is it?" Zuko asked desperately.

"…It is that _you_ go, Zuko."

 _"Me?"_ Zuko asked, dumbfounded. He stood quickly, pacing the room. "What do I know about the Spirit World? How will I even get there? I'm probably the _furthest_ person from reaching enlightenment—"

Iroh chuckled. "You think _I_ did?"

Zuko cocked his head at him. "Well… _yes._ "

Iroh smiled warmly. "Enlightenment is a _journey,_ my nephew, not a destination. The state of a man—" he glanced at Ty Lee, "or woman, does not change in an instant, but gradually with time and effort," he explained. "No, the way into the Spirit World isn't enlightenment, but a strong and focused objective. For me, it was the desire to see my son," he continued, his eyes softening. "I think your purpose is equally clear, and I know of no one else with your drive and determination."

Zuko stared at him, breathing quickly. "You…you really think I can do this, Uncle?"

Iroh stood, grasping Zuko's shoulders tightly. "I _do,_ " he said firmly. "…Are you ready?"

Zuko looked over at Suki, then nodded. "I am."


	24. Chapter 24

Zuko sat, legs crossed, fingers cupped as he pressed the tips of his thumbs together. He breathed as though in slow motion, exhale and inhale flowing as one. Now hours into his meditation, he sensed the fire in the hearth burning out. Despair wracked at his chest, breaking his concentration.

"Uncle, I don't know if—" he started, stopping abruptly as he opened his eyes. He sat in a dank cavern, water streaming down rough dirt walls, several nearby tunnels leading into the darkness.

 _Is this…_ He stood, lifting one arm up slowly, his hand trembling as he pressed his palm forward. He commanded his chi to send a blast of fire into the dim space.

Nothing came out. Not even a hiss of smoke.

He pulled his hand back, staring at it in shock. _I can't bend, which means…I'm really here,_ he realized, breathing fast. _I'm in the Spirit World._

He squeezed his arms briefly, surprised by the feeling. He wasn't sure how he'd expected to feel here— _less…solid, maybe?_ he thought. _I guess spirits must made of something too,_ he reasoned. He suddenly regretted not asking Aang more about it before.

His eyes swept his surroundings, the handful of caves splitting off in various directions. Furrowing his brows, he chose one at random and made his way quickly inside.

Within minutes, Zuko was in complete darkness. He tried to light a fire in his hand by habit before remembering he couldn't bend. Biting his lip, he jogged through the tunnel blindly, feet splashing in unseen puddles.

Just as he was considering turning around, he caught a deep, unintelligible voice resonating off the walls. Heart pounding, Zuko rushed forward, crouching low as the tunnel narrowed. Before he could stop himself, his foot stepped into empty space and he was tumbling downwards.

"Ungh!" he grunted as he rolled to a stop. He opened his eyes slowly and saw a faint light in the distance. From its source, Zuko heard the deep voice from earlier morph into heated shouts.

" _Why won't you react?!"_ it cried. Zuko stood and moved cautiously towards the light.

A familiar voice spoke, barely audible as it echoed off the walls. "A Kyoshi Warrior is trained to seek an inner calm, even during battle."

 _Suki._ Zuko tore through the short passageway, heart pounding, breath loud and ragged. Within moments, he emerged in a large cavern at the other side, thin, grey light spilling in from the cracked ceiling.

Looking across the room, Zuko saw her—green eyes locking with his own. Suki was pressed against the opposite wall; a massive, centipede-like body wrapped around her tightly, its head invisible in the shadows.

"Z-Zuko!" she gasped, her voice belying her stone-faced expression. "How are you—be careful! Koh is—"

Zuko had barely wiped his face clean of emotion when the creature sprang at him from the darkness. The face of a blue-nose monkey screeched at him, the shrieks dying down into deep human laughter as the face changed to one of a young woman. Zuko's own golden eyes stared back at him as he tried to tame the terror in his gut.

"Fire Lord _Zuko_?" the face spoke gleefully, deeply. "Oh, how _interesting!"_

Koh circled him slowly, smirking. Zuko looked up at Suki, her eyes wide while the creature ignored her. "Koh," he said sternly, turning back to the spirit. "Let Suki go. You have no right to keep her here."

"Oh, but I'm _so_ close," Koh mocked. "I've been tormenting the girl for hours now—she's bound to crack soon."

Zuko's chest burned in fury. It was all he could do not to break his composure.

"Besides," Koh went on, "you've given me the _perfect_ material. The Fire Lord coming to save his beloved half-blood servant? It's too good!" Koh dropped to the floor, crawling quickly back towards Suki and wrapping himself further around her. She gasped as the grip on her tightened.

Zuko burst forward to stop him, but froze when Koh shot several sharp, spindly arms towards Suki's neck. He let them hover, an inch from her skin.

"But…we're only spirits," Zuko said slowly. "You…you couldn't…"

Koh's face, now a heavily wrinkled old woman, grinned maliciously at him. "You don't know much about spirits, do you, _Fire Lord_?"

Zuko bit down hard on his tongue.

"Zuko, it's all right," Suki said quietly. He looked up at her. "I-I'm okay."

Koh cackled, piercing the stillness. "How precious!" he mocked, bringing his face inches from Suki's. "Too bad you two could never work out…such a _shame_ , really."

"What are you talking about, Koh?" Zuko said angrily. "Enough with the games—"

Koh ignored him, instead whispering roughly in Suki's ear. "You really think a _bastard_ half-breed could possibly be with the Lord of the Fire Nation? They would _never_ accept you." Suki's expression remained blank, though she ducked her head, eyes closed.

"S-Suki," Zuko gasped. "That's _not true_. Don't let him—"

"Oh, don't tell me the thought never crossed your mind?" Koh continued, grinning at her as he curled around her face. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if such an alliance put his life in even _greater_ danger from those who opposed the idea."

Suki's breathing quickened, her chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm.

"STOP IT!" Zuko yelled, letting the anger spill into his face as the spirit's back was turned. Koh whirled around; Zuko tamed his features just before the monster pushed him over, black legs pinning his clothes to the ground.

"Careful, Fire Lord. I haven't forgotten about you." Koh blinked into a wide-faced, unkempt man. Foul, angry breath spilled over Zuko as the spirit barred a mouthful of cracked, yellow teeth at him.

 _She dealt with this for hours?_ Zuko lamented, feeling sick. As Koh pressed him further against the ground, he felt something sharp digging into his back.

 _My swords?_ he realized, puzzled. _They came with me?_

"It really is quite fortuitous that you decided to drop in," Koh smirked. "I already have claim on your father's face, and soon I'll have yours too."

"My…father?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, you didn't know?" The spirit laughed savagely, loosening his grip on Zuko as he threw back his giant head. "Turns out the fool wandered into my world by mistake…your mother too, in fact. Though she's made of tougher stuff than your old man."

"But my father still has his face," Zuko said straightly.

"Well, not for long, not for long…" Koh drawled. "He's quite despicable, you know. Gave me his own _children_ trying to save himself. In a million faces, I'd never received such a vile—AAAAGH!"

Koh's scream rang harshly off the cavern walls as Zuko slid his swords deeper into one of the cracks of the segmented body. As the beast recoiled, Zuko slowly pushed himself to his feet. He twisted the blades in its flesh, chest burning in righteous fury as he stared into the spirit's eyes.

 _"Where did you get those?!"_ Koh shrieked. He was rotating faces every second, each one bearing the same terrified, pained expression. "Those are no _Mortal World_ weapons!"

Zuko looked down at his swords. A faint blue light seemed to surround them as thick, translucent liquid dripped down the blades. _These were a gift…_ Zuko recalled, before realization swept over him. It was hard not to smile. _From Uncle._

With an ear-splitting hiss, Koh pulled away and fled into the shadows, releasing his grip on Suki. She slid down the earthen wall, tumbling forwards. Zuko ran over quickly, catching her in his arms. She clung to him, her body trembling as she buried her face in his tunic and let out a quiet sob.

"I lied," she gasped. "Earlier…w-when I said I was okay…"

"I know," he said gently, holding her close.

From the far reaches of the cavern, they heard what sounded like a thousand voices crying out in unison before Koh emerged from the darkness. His giant body had shrunk to half its size as the greyish liquid oozed from his sides, Zuko's swords still sticking in the flesh. Keeping an arm around Suki, Zuko quickly led them behind a jagged mound of earth as Koh flailed madly about. They covered their ears as the mob-like shrieks grew louder and louder.

Suddenly, there was silence. Chancing a look over their barrier, Zuko watched in shock as the spirit's faces began flying off Koh's head like a deck of cards, each forming a mask that rattled against the cavern floor. He looked over at Suki. She was staring wide-eyed at the scene before them, mouth gaping.

The room soon grew cramped as the ocean of faces flooded the ground. Grasping hands, they backed against the furthest wall, holding their breath as the wave tumbled into their feet.

"Was—was he serious about a _million_ faces?!" Zuko asked in horror. "W-we need to get out of here!" He gripped Suki's hand tightly, wading through the now knee-high pile of masks. Just as they reached the nearest tunnel—which itself was filling up—he felt Suki stop.

"Zuko, wait!" she gasped, tugging on his arm. _"…Look."_

He turned around. In the dark cavern, golden dabs of light were popping up in the mass of faces. He looked down at his feet—a small, brown face of a young child suddenly glowed as it dissolved in thin air.

They watched in silence, in awe as the mass around them slowly vanished. When the floor became visible once again, they saw the shell of the spirit lying in the puddle of its own contents. The broadswords glimmered in the shadows, reflecting the light from the last remaining masks as they faded away.

"Is he…dead?" Suki asked tentatively as they moved closer to the scene of carnage.

Zuko stared at the lifeless remains before them, squeezing her hand quickly before letting go to wade through the pool of muck. He tugged the swords out of the hard shell before kicking it a couple of times.

"Yeah. He's dead." Zuko frowned. "…Aang's not going to be happy about this."

"Why on earth not?"

"I killed a spirit…a bad spirit, granted, but the kid wouldn't even kill my father—and he was going to destroy the whole world," Zuko explained. Then he smiled, turning back towards her. "But it was worth it—"

He stopped as he saw her—her body translucent, fading into the darkness.

"Suki!" he shouted, dropping the swords and running back to her.

"Zuko, it's okay," Suki said when he reached her. Her voice sounded miles away. "I think my body's pulling my spirit back. Koh was keeping me here but now…" Her lips continued moving but no more words came out.

"Suki, I can't…" Zuko started, before realizing she probably couldn't hear him either. His face contorted as he cupped her face in his hand. He could barely feel her as she continued fading. She stared up at him, face streaked with worry as she reached up to touch his fingers. The moment she did, she was gone.


	25. Chapter 25

Suki gasped. She opened her eyes, looking up at the familiar ceiling above her, hearing the crackling of a fire and a quiet whistle of wind outside. Her hand rested against her own, cool cheek, reaching for fingers that were no longer there.

 _I'm back._

She sat up slowly, the soft silk of a red sleeping tunic brushing against her skin. Puzzled, she looked around. Ty Lee's bed was empty, though she saw Iroh asleep in a chair by the glowing fire. Another figure sat across from him, his back to her, motionless beside the hearth.

"…Zuko," Suki whispered, kneeling down beside him. Eyes closed, he sat cross-legged, hands folded carefully in his lap. _Why hasn't he come back?_ she thought, panicking as she felt his arms with trembling hands. His skin was cool—Zuko was _never_ cold, and he was sitting right beside the fire. She chewed her lip fiercely as her breath grew ragged in anxiety.

 _Koh was right,_ she realized suddenly, backing quickly away from him and collapsing to the floor. _I will put his life in greater danger—I already have._ Her face contorted in pain. She squeezed her eyes shut, two thick tears escaping as she realized what she had to do.

Someone touched her shoulder. She wiped her eyes quickly and looked up. "Iroh," she said quietly, grimacing as the tears threatened to spill out again.

"My dear, you're back with us," he said. Concern spilled into his features as he slowly crouched down beside her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded quickly, but looked over at Zuko again.

Iroh smiled. "Don't worry about my nephew—he'll be back soon enough. I didn't encourage him in his meditation exercises all those years _just_ for his temper, you know," he said, winking.

She nodded slowly, staring into her lap.

Iroh's brows furrowed, but he stood. She soon felt a warm blanket fall over her shoulders. "How about I make us some tea while we wait, hmm?" he asked.

"That would be nice. Thank you, Iroh," Suki replied quietly, grabbing the edges of the soft quilt. She sensed him hesitate before slowly leaving the room. As soon as the door shut, she pulled her knees into her chest and buried her face against them, pulling the blanket tightly around her.

Moments later—or hours? She couldn't tell—something touched her back. The memory of Koh's worming body pressing against her returned, feeling all too real. She jerked away, crying out in fear as the blanket fell off her shoulders.

"Suki," someone said anxiously. "Suki, it's only me."

She looked over, gasping for breath as the room came back into focus.

"Z-Zuko?" She saw him kneeling on the floor beside her, his arm half drawn out as though he'd been reaching for something before pulling away. "S-sorry," she started. "I thought…I thought it was—" She felt her eyes growing moist again and quickly buried her face in her hands so he couldn't see.

She felt him gingerly touch her back again. When she didn't react, she felt strong arms tenderly pull her in close, a head resting against hers.

"Suki…" Zuko started, his voice trembling. "Did…did he…"

She shook her head quickly. "It's not what you're thinking."

He exhaled roughly, his arms tightening around her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know why I'm overreacting so much—"

"Overreacting?!" he exclaimed, pulling back to look at her. "I was only around him for _five minutes_ and I nearly wet myself!"

Normally she would have laughed, but instead she cringed as she remembered why Zuko had been in the Spirit World in the first place. _Because of me,_ she thought bitterly. _I'm not protecting him anymore. I'm putting him in danger. First with Ozai, then with Koh..._

"…What's wrong?" Zuko asked. He looked hurt—it was then she realized she had her palms pressed against his chest, pushing him away.

She let some of the tension out of her hands, but still kept him at arm's length. "I—I'm going back to Kyoshi Island tomorrow."

"Don't you—" Zuko stopped, grimacing. Then he nodded, looking into his lap. "Of course, take all the time you need. You deserve a break."

She shook her head slowly, feeling her throat constrict. "I'm going there to stay, Zuko," she choked out. The thought made her sick.

He looked up at her quickly, eyes quivering, chest rising and falling heavily. "But…" he started, looking pained. "… _why?"_

"Because…I've failed you."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"I've been selfish…I've crossed a line…and now I'm only putting your life in more danger," she admitted. "Koh…he was right."

Zuko growled, looking murderous. " _No,_ he wasn't. And you've been anything _but_ selfish, Su—"

"I can't let you keep risking your life for me, Zuko. It's not worth it— _I'm_ not worth it. The Fire Nation, the _world_ needs you right now more than—"

She stopped when he grabbed her wrists roughly, her hands still pushing him away. He stared at her intensely. "So you can risk your life for me day in and day out, but I can never do the same for you?!"

"Your life matters more than mine, Zuko," she sighed. "It's just a fact."

"How can you say that? You can't really think—" He paused, loosening his grip. His gaze softened before he continued quietly. "…Don't you understand, Suki? I can't do this without you."

Suki felt her breath catch, eyes growing wide. He suddenly turned bright red. "I-I mean, um…" he stuttered, the blush spreading over his nose and into his ear. He took a deep breath as though he was about to dive into the ocean. "Look, I'm really bad at this kind of thing. B-but I want you to know…I really care about you." His hands slid down to hold hers as he pulled her arms aside and inched closer. "Since the end of the war…you've been the only one of my friends who never lost faith in me. You were always there for me. I never realized it—I guess I took you for granted. But when I thought I'd lost you…" He stopped, his face contorting as he looked away.

Suki thought about the angry boy who'd attacked her village years ago, who had somehow transformed into the man who sat before her, telling her things that made her ache to stay with him.

"Please…" he whispered, looking back. "Please, Suki. Don't leave."

A warmth overcame her, like a sudden sensation of rightness and peace. Maybe…maybe it would be okay, after all.

She smiled slowly. "Is that an order?"

Zuko grinned widely, bringing his hands up to gently cup her face. _"Yes._ Yes, it is."

* * *

The storm had picked up again, the wind and rain sounding like bricks falling on the roof. Despite the gloomy light creeping through the corridor windows, Iroh hummed to himself as he effortlessly balanced the tea tray between his hands. Turning around, he pushed the bedroom door open with his back.

He was about to explain the reason for his huge delay, but stopped himself when he heard Zuko speaking.

"Now that you're done making me pour out my feelings like a _sap—_ I want in on this blanket. I'm still freezing."

The girl laughed while his nephew pulled the giant quilt around them both. "Really, Zuko? _Freezing?_ " she teased. "You're already warmer than me!"

"Well…I'm cold for a firebender, okay?" he replied. Suki giggled.

As the couple fell into a heated silence, Iroh smiled to himself, pulling the door slowly shut again.

* * *

Teja pushed open the bedroom door, entering the large room the servants had escorted them to. Her eyes widened at the enormity of it—beautiful, sweeping curtains on the windows and two large beds in each corner of the room covered with red silk sheets.

She looked behind her at Chou, who stood frozen in the doorway. "Really getting the royal treatment, aren't we?" Teja asked, laughing.

Chou only shrugged, sitting in an armchair by the fire. It was already lit, filling the room with a smell that reminded her of home—since nothing else about this place did. "I'm just going to wash up, then," Teja said, sensing Chou wanted to be alone. They were both anxious to see their family, who was only a couple hours away. In truth, it had been months since they'd seen them—ever since the night Koh had come and—

Teja stopped, cringing. _What will they think of us now? Amal—how could he understand this?_ She pulled off the mask in the dark bathroom, no desire to see her faceless reflection staring back at her as she twisted the knobs and plunged her hands into the water. She leaned over into the sink, letting the warm water run over her face and hair, watching the dirt and grime flow into the large metal basin.

Throwing a towel over her head, she rubbed her face and hair dry as she went back to sit across from Chou by the fire. Her sister looked like a forlorn spirit, the orange glow sending rays of light off the mask in the dim room.

"Are you okay, Chou?" Teja asked carefully, throwing the damp towel over the armrest and running her fingers through her short hair.

Chou sighed. "What will they think of us, Teja? How can we go back to a normal life after—" She stopped as she looked up. "Te-Teja?! Y-y-your face!"

"What? Did I miss some mud? I'll go back and—"

"YOUR FACE IS BACK!"

She stared back at Chou for a long moment before gasping loudly. They both ran to the bathroom, stumbling inside. Teja sent sparks of fire to the lamps as Chou ripped her mask off.

Crowding together beside the sink, the twins watched as two young women smiled back at them from the mirror.

* * *

All he'd really wanted to do was spend the stormy day curled up beside the fire with Suki, but that had ended far too soon.

Zuko stood in front of the large, black and gold painted doors, dressed in his full Fire Lord robes. Suki and Ty Lee flanked the entrance, protecting those within. His chest felt heavy, the dishonor of his father pouring over him like tar.

Suki touched his arm gently. He looked over at her, chewing his lip fiercely. "They won't want to see me," he started, then looked down at his feet. "…They won't want anything to do with me. Just because Ozai's our…I mean, they have their own families…maybe I shouldn't—"

"Zuko," Suki said softly. "It's going to be okay. I think you'll be…pleasantly surprised." The look on her face seemed to imply she knew more than she was letting on.

Zuko furrowed his brows, but nodded. Inhaling deeply, he pushed the door open and walked slowly inside.

A dozen people were gathered around the furniture in the large sitting room. He saw the twins, their backs to him, huddled together with a tall, grey-haired couple and a boy who looked to be around eleven or twelve. He also saw a girl sitting on one of the couches with a middle-aged woman with tawny skin and light brown hair. A handful of children were with them, all fighting to climb into the girl's lap. Before anyone could turn to face him, he bowed deeply. He couldn't look them in the eyes.

"I'm s-so sorry for what Ozai did to you," he said, trembling. "I know I can't do anything to make up for what he did…but I promise, we'll make sure you're protected, that you'll have whatever you need to take care of your families for as long as—"

He stopped when someone grabbed his arm. "Zuko, look."

He looked up and saw narrow golden eyes staring into his own. Her face—it was one of those Koh had worn only hours ago.

"Zuko, it's us." She smiled softly as another girl with a nearly identical face but framed with long, black hair walked up behind her.

"Teja? Chou?"

The younger girl from the couch walked over shyly. She had light grey eyes and olive-toned skin, but her narrow nose and high cheekbones felt familiar.

"…Aki? Is that you? How—" he stopped. _Koh's faces,_ he realized. _They must have returned to their owners._ He smiled, a wave of relief flowing over him as he realized he'd at least given them back _something_ his father had taken away.

"Suki told us you defeated Koh," Chou said. "Fire Lord, we can't…" she stopped, face contorting as she looked at her feet. "We can't tell you how grateful we are, Zuko," she choked out, tears flowing down her face.

A wave of brotherly affection filled his chest and before he realized what he was doing, he'd pulled Chou into an embrace. She stiffened, but soon reached her arms around in return. He felt Teja and Aki join in, wrapping their arms around them.

There wasn't a dry eye in the mix.

* * *

"Hey, looks like I got that dinner out of you after all."

Zuko nearly choked on the bite in his mouth. He swallowed painfully, eyes tearing up it scraped its way slowly down his throat. " _This—_ " he said once he could breathe again, "does _not_ count." He sat with Suki on the floor around a short table, a dozen boxes of takeout scattered around them. "Besides," he continued, "I didn't imagine us being chaperoned…"

Iroh popped his head out from the adjoining room. "Oh, don't mind me!"

Zuko groaned while Suki chuckled at him. Iroh soon brought a fresh pot of tea to the table and dug into one of the unopened boxes of komodo chicken with gusto. Zuko tried to calm his mind—it was still swirling with everything that had happened that day. After spending time with his newfound sisters, he'd managed to have all the kidnapped children located and returned them to their families, get Ukano and his men locked away in the capital prison, and send his father off to the Boiling Rock until he could figure out what to do with him…

Zuko sighed—there was still a lot ahead of them to make sure any remaining insurgents didn't try to pull a stunt like this again.

He felt someone grab his hand. He looked over at Suki, who smiled sweetly at him. Agni, she was beautiful. He couldn't help but smile back.

"So," she started. "…How'd you get those swords into the Spirit World, anyway? My katana didn't come with me," she said, pouting.

"I was wondering the same thing," Zuko replied, turning towards Iroh. The man looked at him innocently, chopsticks in his mouth. "Where _did_ you get those swords from, Uncle?"

Iroh smiled, putting his food down. "They were your cousin's swords, Zuko. He wanted you to have them."

"But they had spiritual properties. Why would Lu Ten have had—" Zuko stopping, blanching. "Are you telling me you really found him? You found Lu Ten in the Spirit World after all?!"

His uncle's eyes softened, but he only shrugged his shoulders and picked his food back up again. Zuko continued to stare at him, mouth gaping.

"While we're on the subject…" Suki said slowly. He turned back to look at her—she was grinning playfully at him. "I was thinking…who says we even _have_ to tell Aang about Koh? What he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?"

Zuko laughed. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

Over Suki's shoulder, he saw his mother standing in the doorway, smiling at him. Ursa walked over and sat at the table, nodding kindly as Iroh poured her a cup of tea.

"It's so nice to see you _laugh_ , Zuko," she said warmly.

He groaned, face-palming. "Oh, Agni—not you too!"


	26. Epilogue

**_— One year later —_**

" _Suki!_ Suki, are you awake _?"_

Suki finished tugging the shirt over her head before tip-toeing towards the door, popped open an inch by someone on the other side. She pulled the door open just wide enough to slip through before shutting it behind her.

"Zuko!" she whispered harshly. "Ty Lee's still asleep. You could have—" She stopped when she saw his face, a nervous grin spreading ear to ear.

"What's going on? Why won't you tell me where we're going— _in the middle of the night,_ no less?"

"It's a surprise."

She raised an eyebrow at him, though her heart was fluttering in her chest.

He looked down at her sandal-clad feet. "Um, you might want different shoes."

"Well, how was I supposed to know _that_ when you won't _tell_ me—" She stopped again as he moved in close, his face leaning down, lips hesitating just before touching hers.

"What were you saying?" he whispered, his golden eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Mmm…nothing."

A few minutes later, Suki asked, "I thought we were in a hurry, Zuko."

She felt him gasp against her neck. "Oh, spirits! Yes. Let's go."

She chuckled. "Let me change my shoes first."

* * *

Suki breathed in deeply. She loved the feeling of the fresh mountain air in her lungs. The landscape had a mystical feel about it as light from the full moon poured down, illuminating the ground in a soft blue light.

She looked back towards Zuko, his frame glowing from the fire in his palm as he led them up a narrow path. His hair—now nearing his shoulders—was tied back in a low ponytail instead of his usual half-topknot. She'd been growing her own out too—just long enough so she could tie it all back during the hot and humid summers.

They'd been hiking through the foothills for several hours now, and soon reached a steep cliff face.

"Did you get us lost, Zuko?"

He grinned, shaking his head as he held out the flame in his palm to illuminate the rocky wall. A long rope hung down, secured high above them in the darkness.

"You can climb, right?" he asked.

She laughed. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

His gaze lingered on her for several seconds before he pulled the bag off his shoulder and dug around inside. He pulled out two leather harnesses and handed one up to her. Suki slipped her legs through the straps, tightening them as Zuko fastened his own on. He pulled the rope through his own harness in a series of complicated knots before doing the same on hers, checking that her harness was on tight.

He left his hands on her hips for a long moment, warm breath cascading down her neck. Then he gave her a gentle squeeze and pulled away.

"Okay. I'm going first—since I think you're too light to safely belay me up from the top."

Suki nodded, still feeling the tingling sensation from where his hands had rested. She bit her lip, adjusting her grip on the rope as Zuko started to climb up the cliff face.

* * *

"Agni, you made that look easy," Zuko said.

Suki pulled herself over the edge, arms and legs trembling, heart pulsing with the thrill of the climb. Zuko grabbed her hand, helping her stand before they pulled off the harnesses and left the ropes in a neat pile beside the anchor.

She looked around them. They stood on a flat patch of rock overlooking the valley, shrouded in darkness but still partially visible in the dimming moonlight. A faint light was beginning to peek over the eastern horizon.

She smiled widely as she realized why they were here.

Zuko laced his fingers through hers. He looked over at her, a lopsided smile plastered across his face. "Come on, let's find a good spot to watch," he said.

They moved together towards the opposite side. Suki sat down on the cool rock, carefully swinging her legs over the ledge. Zuko sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling into her neck, making her laugh.

She felt his fingers gently push her sleeve aside and trace the pinkish lines of her scar.

"I love you," he said softly.

She'd heard him say those words countless times by now, but something about this moment made her blush at them.

"I love you, too."

They sat in a comfortable silence as the sun's tip peaked over the horizon. The landscape was slowly bathed in gentle light, pinks and oranges feeling their way into the wide-open sky and across square plots of farmland and jagged foothills.

Her chest swelled; it was more beautiful than she'd imagined.

"Suki."

"Yes?"

He was quiet for a long moment. Then she heard him inhale quietly. "Do you feel…at home, here?" he asked nervously.

"Of course, Zuko."

"I mean…do you ever miss Kyoshi Island?"

She thought about her homeland—the pleasant beaches and green hills, the ancient shrines, the closeness of their community, her mother and stepfather.

"Sometimes, I guess," she admitted. She looked back over the massive, stunning landscape below them. "But I think I'd feel…trapped, if I had to go back. I've seen too much of the world to live in such an isolated way again."

"But…you're happy _here_?" he asked.

"Yes," she said sincerely. "I love it here."

She heard him inhale sharply before swinging one leg around so they sat side by side on the rock ledge. He reached back to grab his pack and pulled out a small silk pouch. He held it in his lap, staring at his quaking hands.

"Suki," he said quietly. "You are the most wonderful person I know. You're brave, and kind, and strong, and…" He flushed. "…I can't imagine my life without you."

He handed her the pouch. With trembling fingers, she pulled apart the drawstrings and let the soft fabric fall away. A beautiful red and gold headpiece shone in the morning light. Her breath caught, heart pounding madly in her chest.

Zuko reached for her hands. She looked back at him. His gaze was soft yet penetrating.

"…Marry me, Suki."

She stared into his eyes, realizing she couldn't imagine her life without him either.

 _"Yes,"_ she breathed. She couldn't stop the smile that broke out over her face. "Yes, I will!"

His face lit up as he pulled her in close. Fingers in her hair, he kissed her passionately as the sun rose high in the sky.

* * *

 _ **Hello, greensearcher here!** Hope you enjoyed the story. This is the first time I've ever written something like this and I have to say, it was so much fun! If you liked it or have any feedback, please please review (guests too)!_

 _I've sort of set this up for a possible sequel—involving outside resistance to Zuko & Suki's engagement as well as delving more into the Tokka realm. Yay/nay?_

 _As for now, I need to emotionally prepare myself for the Maiko I'm convinced is coming in S &S Part 3 haha…*sob*_

* * *

 ** _UPDATE:_** _I've started posting the sequel, titled "Masked Revenge." Woohoo! And I'm also writing some fun one-shots of these two that fit in between Chapter 25 and this Epilogue, titled "Don't Let Your Guard Down." Find both on my profile :)  
_


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